Prince of Thieves
by WhiteGamma
Summary: Malik is taken in by the Pharaoh who raises him like his own son. On his twelfth birthday he is kidnapped by the Thief King. He then finds out that his father was the former Thief King and with Akefia's help he shall become the new one. Citronshipping
1. The Lost Prince

I couldn't help but write this story! The idea came to me, strangely, when I was... under the shower. Damn that shampoo for being so inspiring! Anway, there are a few important things to mention:

The beginning might remind you of 'Prince of Egypt' since that was one of my inspiration sources (like the shampoo!) but I promise that it is not stolen.

Secondly, I'm aware of the fact that Akefia is the name that fans made up for Thief Bakura, but I still find it more fitting than 'Bakura' at least in Ancient Egypt.

Thirdly, I call Isis 'Ishizu' because it would be confusing if she had the name of the Goddess herself.

And last but not least - I am not and will never be a native speaker. Therefore I would ask you to correct me if I make any severe errors (same goes for if I write something wrong about the Egyptian culture etc.). It will help me improve and it benefits us all - thanks in advance for your help!

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The Lost Prince

_"After them!", roared a guard into the cold night air. He was followed by more guards with spears and swords in their hands. They sprinted down the small alleys of the sleeping city, chasing down a woman with a child by her side and an infant in her arms. They rounded another corner hastily in hope to lose the guards that were after them. The woman panted desperately and ran on her wobbly legs. They would catch up soon, she knew it._

_"They are still... still right behind us!" the boy at her side said between pants, fear clearly audible. They could hear the cries behind them. What they needed was a miracle. The woman briefly thought of her husband and prayed to the Gods that he would find them before the guards caught up. Her hopes, however, were crushed the moment she tripped over a rock. She turned in time so she would not crush the child in her arms and landed on her side. The boy stopped immediately and went to help her stand up but she pushed his helping hands aside and instead held her infant out for him to take._

_"Take Malik away from here! I will die but I want the two of you to survive", she pleaded. He hesitated for a moment but had no time as he heard the guards approach with high speed. He took the child into his arms and ran away from the scene. He did not turn around anymore and ran as fast and as far away as his legs would carry him._

_"'Kefi", came a little, high-pitched voice from his arms. He glanced down at the boy in his arms who had just called him. Wide, lavender eyes stared at him, fear and confusion written all over his face. He tightened his arms around the boy._

_"Everything will be fine, Malik, don't worry!" he said in a hurry and looked back up to see where he was running. _

_"'Kefi? Where is mommy, 'Kefi?" the boy asked innocently. The boy with wild, white haired bit his lip. The child's mother could be dead by now. He could not possibly tell him. A tear, which he had not noticed he had shed, dropped down onto the blond boy's cheek. He instantly looked sad as well and tugged on the older boy's tunic. "Why are you sad?"_

_Akefia's vision was blurry with tears and he clenched his eyes shut in order to get rid of them. To his misery he ran right into a guard when he was not looking. Bumping into the larger body, he fell backward onto his rear and yelped out of pain. He gazed up at the men that had cornered him now. 'No...', he thought in despair. In his haste he pulled out a knife from his belt but it was slapped out of his grasp, landing on the sandy floor where it was out of his reach. He shook violently as he looked back up at the guards, unconsciously pulling the child wrapped in linen closer to himself. He heard the boy say his name again, sounding confused and afraid. 'I have sworn to protect him...' He buried his face in the cloth the other boy was enveloped in and, as much as he hated himself for it, wept silently. In the next moment he felt something hit the side of his head which was followed by a sharp pain and then he passed out. 'Malik...' with the boy's name as his last thought he collided with the rough floor, the child trapped under one of his arms._

_"Should we bring them into the dungeon or kill them right away?" one of the guards asked. Another shook his head._

_"They are children but if we give them the chance to live they might become like their parents and become thieves as well. We should kill them right now." They heard the little child in the unconscious boy's arms begin to cry and weep loudly._

_"What is the meaning of this?" came a voice from behind the guards. There stood a woman in a tunic with jewelery all over her body, a braided wig and a gold tiara on her head. The guards fell down onto their right knees to bow before her._

_"Your majesty... these are members of the group of thieves that attacked us. We were about to punish them, your majesty." one of the guards explained, head bowed low._

_She approached the 'thieves' and turned to look at the men incredulously. "These are children!" she said with disbelief and picked up the weeping boy and cradled him in her gentle arms. "You must be mistaken."_

_"But, your majesty-"_

_"I do not wish to hear any protests. I will take these children with me. Help this boy", the Queen demanded and pointed at the bleeding boy on the ground._

_"With all due respect, your majesty, but he is already dead", one of the guards said. It was a lie, he had just struck his head not too long ago but he would not tolerate any thieves in the palace. The Queen, however, seemed to have adopted the younger boy already._

_She narrowed her with kohl decorated eyes at the guard, glaring at him. "You will bear the consequences for killing a child", she threatened and turned on her heels. "I wish that this boy receives a funeral at the very least", she added and went back to the palace with her new son in her arms. As soon as she was out of hearing range she looked down at the infant, her ocean blue eyes observing his frail form. She smiled softly at him. "You will need a name, little one." She entered the golden palace, ignoring the stares the guards were giving her and gently stroke the boy's hair who had by then calmed down and fallen asleep in her secure embrace._

_"Your name shall be... Namu."_

10 years later...

A light breeze swept over the endlessly long dunes of the cool desert morning. The west side of the far sky was still dark and black, sparkling stars decorating it, whereas the east side was painted in a light rosy color mixed with orange and yellow. Ra's first beams of the day rose from behind the horizon. Soon the whole kingdom would awaken from its slumber but for now it was only the guards that were awake, or rather... those were the only ones that should be awake.

The jingling sound of anklets could be heard as a small body tried to sneak through the palace as silently as possible. The child stopped and looked down at the jewelery that seemed to intent to expose him to the guards. Pools of lavender narrowed in annoyance. He regretted having put them on now. Ignoring this, the small feet carried the body further into the palace to a certain chamber. He turned his head left and right to be certain that no one had noticed him. Without hesitating any longer he pushed the crimson curtains aside and snuck into the room.

He was pleased to find the person in the large bed seemingly fast asleep. The steady breathing that hardly reached his ears told him that he was right. Smiling, he approached the sleeping form curled up in sheets and layers of linen and silk. He knelt down on the edge of the bed and leaned over the other person. Lavender eyes observed the boy with tri-colored - red, black and blond - hair beneath him, sleeping peacefully. Staring at sleeping people makes them wake up, or so he remembered it to be. However, he had neither the time nor the patience to wait for the other boy to awaken on his own. So he reached out and poked the sleeping boy gently into his tan cheek.

After only a few pokes the boy began to stir and crimson eyes fluttered open. They widened immediately upon recognizing who had woken him up. He sat up in the bed and looked bewildered at the boy with platinum blond hair beside him, a wide smile on his face. "Namu", the boy with the tri-colored hair said, "what are you doing here? It is not even morning yet."

"Atemu, have you forgotten what you promised me?" the boy by the name of Namu asked, pouting slightly.

"Promise?" Atemu repeated, trying to recall a time when he had promised the blond boy anything that could involve him waking up before morning. The younger boy's pout only increased.

"Yes, promise. You promised me that on the day I reach twelve years you would show me the desert behind the palace walls." He then sighed, still annoyed, and crossed his arms over his chest. "So you have forgotten after all."

"No", Atemu protested, shaking his head, "I am still not awake so I could not understand what you were talking about." He then smiled at the pouting boy. "I would never forget a promise I gave to my little brother."

His brother began to smile, too, and giggled happily. "Good. We should go now before morning comes and everyone wakes up."

Atemu nodded, agreeing to that, got dressed, and they both made their way out of the large chamber. Torches on the walls lit their way through the palace. Both knew where the guards were positioned, so it was easy to find a safe route. The only hindrance was a jingling sound that now reached Atemu's ears as well. He glanced behind him were his brother was walking as quietly as he could. "Why do you have to wear those anklets now?"

Namu looked up with innocent amethyst eyes. "I did not think of it when I put them on. I just wear them every day."

"We will have to be especially careful so that the guards won't notice us." The younger nodded and they proceeded down the hallway. They were lucky that the guards were not too careful today and were already very sleepy. Not any of them noticed the two boys sneaking out of the security of the palace. The only thing that still separated them from the wide ocean of sand were the walls that kept the city safe in times of war. Atemu crouched down in front of the huge wall and knocked his knuckles against a brick. He repeated the action on a few more stones until he stopped at a certain one which he grabbed and pulled out. He tore a few more bricks until there was a hole big enough for a human to crawl through. His brother stared with wide eyes, admiring Atemu's knowledge. "How did you know it was here?" he asked in awe.

"I once discovered it while I was playing out here. The hole had been here before I found it. I did not make it myself if that is what you think." It should have worried the young prince that the wall that kept everyone safe was not at all flawless, but he never mentioned it. That hole was his only chance to escape the palace once in a while.

He stepped aside for his younger brother and motioned for him to go through. "You go first. It is your birthday after all."

The little noble needed no more words and without hesitation he went down on his knees into the sand and crawled through the hole, almost hitting his head in the process. He held his eyes closed until he was on the other side and even when he stood up. He wanted this to be his surprise. When he was on his feet again he reluctantly let his eyes flutter open.

He gasped although he could have sworn the sight took his breath away. His lavender eyes eagerly took in the seemingly endless sea of sand. The dunes were the waves that ran along that sea. The sun that gracefully rose from the horizon made the sand sparkle and paint the sky in many glorious colors. As the wind sighed sand was blown all over the desert, looking like a mysterious kind of haze. He felt a few grains of sand tickle his bare calves as they swirled across the desert floor. He smiled widely, overjoyed that he was able to witness what he had longed for all of his life in the palace - freedom.

He heard a rustling sound from behind him and knew it was Atemu who had made it on the other side as well. "It's so beautiful", he said as if in a daze. The older prince went to stand beside his brother and put a hand on his shoulder as he smiled.

"Happy birthday, brother. I hope you like your present."

"Yes, I love it!" the blond exclaimed and threw himself at Atemu. "Thank you so much!" He felt his brother return the hug and after a moment he released him again to look up at him. "Once you are the Pharaoh we will be able to see this whenever we want, right Atemu?" he asked eagerly. But he never heard the answer because the moment he had finished his question they both heard a noise from beside them which made them turn around to see what it was. Both stood frozen in shock as they gazed up at the person who had approached them.

There stood a man who could not have been a guard. He wore a light colored sarong that barely reached his knees and a red long-sleeved robe which showed his tan chest. His hair was covered by headwear of the same color as his sarong. He looked down at the two nobles with fierce grey eyes that reminded of a storm when it was about to start. Namu noted with interest that he had a pale, long scar over his right eye that went down half of his cheek, but the eye seemed unharmed. Behind the man stood a black stallion that kicked with its hooves impatiently into the sand. It had no saddle on its back but seemed to belong to the man nonetheless.

The man had a strange aura about him, it felt familiar to the little noble but he could not tell why. The man spoke up then "Are you from the palace?", he asked in a demanding tone, his grey eyes as hard as the stone walls behind them. It scared the younger prince and he went to step behind his older brother, one hand on his shoulder and the other tugging at the back of his tunic.

"Who is this man, Atemu?" he whispered, afraid the man might hear him. His brother did not answer, for he had no answer to that question except for 'I don't know'. But he did not reply to the man's question either. He was not acquainted with this stranger and knew better than to give such information away as if it was nothing.

The man studied the two boys in front of him. The older and taller boy with tri-colored hair wore a plain light tunic and no sandals but was adorned with jewelery everywhere - a tiara with the Eye of Horus in the middle, several gold braclets, earrings, belts and a beaded collar around his neck. He was either of a high social status or, as he assumed, from the palace. His eyes fell upon the younger boy that hid behind him.

His platinum blond hair looked almost white and hung over his eyes, shielding them, but the man found his wide eyes anyway. They were a beautiful shade of lavender, kohl decorating them in fine black lines on tan skin. He also wore a gold tiara on his forehead with the same eye pattern. His frail body was clothed in a long-sleeved tunic that reached his knees. Gold bracelets and anklets adorned his wrists and ankles. From what he could see there also was a gold choker around his neck as well as a necklace with an ankh as a pendant. Tightly wrapped about his hips was a violet cloth with golden embroidery. He gazed up at him in fear, muttering something to the other boy.

_"'Kefi..."_

Something struck him like lightening when he saw the boy. His eyes widened for only a second but he quickly replaced this with a stoic expression again. He then noticed that he had still not received an answer but that did not bother him too much. He had found out something of great interest. "What's your name, boy?" he asked looking straight into purple eyes. The boy flinched, knowing that he had addressed him.

"N-namu...", he said barely above a whisper and his brother turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"You are not supposed to give your name to strangers", he hissed warningly. Such an action could prove to be fatal. The younger boy winced.

"I... but he asked...", he tried to justify.

"We should leave right away", Atemu whispered but the stranger had heard him nonetheless.

"No need to worry", he assured and came up with the best lie he could think of at the moment, "I am merely a trader and have come to this city after a very long journey. My companions were at the gates when I decided to study the safety measures of this city."

It sounded so convincing to Namu's ears that he believed it right away and brightened up in excitement. He stepped in front of his older brother, ignoring the warning hiss, and stood in front of the 'trader'.

"You have been on a long journey? Please, tell me about the things you have seen, where you have been and what you have sold! This is so exciting! I have never met anyone from outside before", he exclaimed with sheer joy.

"Namu!" came a harsh call from behind him but once again he ignored it. This was his first and maybe only chance to get to know the world better. He had read about Egypt and its surrounding nations way too much but never had the chance to experience anything outside the scrolls and books.

The stranger smirked at the child's excitement and will to let his guard down. He would have stayed longer but the sun had already risen far too high and he knew the guards might find them soon. If those children were really from the palace then that could put him in quite some trouble. He had to go for now. Reaching out, he patted the boy's soft blond hair and crouched down to be on eye level with him. He saw the older boy step a little closer in a protective way but cared not one bit. He grinned at the boy who had lost his smile but still looked curious and not at all uncomfortable with the touch. "Not this time, little one. But we shall meet again very soon."

The boy hesitated for a moment but dared to ask "Do you promise?"

The man's grin widened at the child's naiveté and nodded. "I promise. Until then..." He then stood up again, leaving the blond to tilt his head to meet his eyes. He turned around, waving his hand as if to say 'goodbye' and went to his horse to mount it. Before he did the boy made another two steps towards him.

"Wait! What's your name?"

_"...'Kefi..."_

The stranger got onto the stallion's back and took hold of the reigns, shifting his gaze back to the blond. "Akefia."

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><p>"Why did you not obey me?" Atemu asked, angered, as they walked down a hallway in the large palace to their bedchambers. Namu looked down at his bare feet as they did so. He did not feel any guilt for disobeying his older brother and future Pharaoh of Egypt but sadness because he had not been able to listen to the trader's stories. Would he really see him again? "Namu, are you listening?"<p>

The younger prince's head snapped up to see his brother glaring at him over his shoulder. "I... yes, I was."

"Then answer me", Atemu demanded. His brother looked down at his feet again.

"I apologize, big brother...", he whispered, ashamed that he paid more attention to a stranger rather than his own brother. He heard the older boy heave a sigh, not saying anything for a long time.

"I forgive you", he finally said. He considered it the duty of an older brother to forgive his younger siblings when they have made a mistake.

"Excuse me, but why are you wandering the palace at this early hour?" asked a male voice that made both of them jump and turn around.

"Mahado!" they said in unison upon recognizing the man in front of them. It was one of the Pharaoh's priests, Mahado. He wore typical priest clothing which consisted of a long tunic that reached his ankles, with by jewelery fastened headwear, several gold decorations and - an object that only the Priest Mahado possessed - the Sennen Ring, one of the seven Sennen Items.

"So?" he said, raising a brown eyebrow. "Why are you up and about already, Majesties?"

The older prince began to nervously fidget with one of his heavy, golden earrings. "W-well..."

"It is because it's my birthday today and we wanted to be up early so we could see the preparations for the party tonight!" Namu exclaimed cheerfully. Atemu sincerely approved of his brother's skill to lie convincingly and nodded in agreement.

Mahado seemed to believe it and smiled at the two princes. "That's right, Prince Namu, today is your birthday. I was hoping to make your twelfth birthday special for you to never forget." He bowed as a sign of respect while the young boy's face lit up with excitement.

"Really? That sounds great! What have you planned?" The priest merely kept smiling as he put a finger to his lips.

"That, my prince, is a secret", he replied in a playful tone which made the young boy pout yet again. Mahado was like a friend to both princes rather than a servant. He was still young himself and he got along with the little nobles very well. They especially liked him because he hardly ever said 'no' when they asked him to play with them. Only when he had duties to fulfill he would reject the request.

"I hope you keep your word and make this an unforgettable event...", Namu mumbled.

"Of course, your Majesty, I do not intend to disappoint you in any way. Now, if you will excuse me, I have duties I need to attend to." The priest bowed his head with his hand over his heart and passed them by.

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><p>The day went as fast as it had come and soon the sun was behind the horizon again, leaving the land without any light except for the moon that shone brightly above their heads and the millions of stars that joined in. The great hall in which the golden throne stood proudly above everything else was filled with cheerful laughter, singing and dancing women. In the middle stood a long table, covered with silk cloths and various kinds of food placed on it. The six priests together with the Pharaoh's advisor were gathered about the throne. And in the throne itself sat the mighty King of the country - Pharaoh Aknamkanon. By his side stood his sons, Atemu and Namu, both wearing happy smiles, although the one who was truly overjoyed was the younger prince.<p>

"Namu, my son", the Pharaoh said and the boy turned to him eagerly.

"Yes, father?"

"Come here", he ordered with a wave of his hand and the boy obeyed, stepping up to his father until he was within reach. Aknamkanon put his raised hand gently on the top of boy's head and smiled at him, stroking his blond hair. "My son, you shall have my and the Gods' blessings. They have protected you for twelve years already. May they protect you for far longer than that and grant you a happy and fulfilled life. I wish you a happy birthday, Namu." His hand then cupped the boy's cheek and his son responded by putting his own hand over it and leaning into the affectionate touch.

"Thank you so much, father", he said happily and could have exploded with joy on the spot. His father then put his hand on his shoulder.

"Now, go and celebrate to your heart's content", he told him and without another word the boy was gone, pulling his brother by the wrist with him. He was on his way to the middle of the hall were all the guests were gather but stopped when his eyes met with the priestess'. He let go of his older brother and went to stand before the tall woman.

"Ishizu!" he exclaimed, delighted to see her. "You're already back from your journey?"

The priestess, wearing clothes similar to the other priests - a tunic, headwear and jewelery - smiled at the young prince and nodded. "Yes, my prince, the Sennen Torc showed me that I would be back in time if I hurried and so I did. You have my and Isis' blessings for your twelfth birthday, Majesty", she said and bowed her head, a hand placed over her heart. Ishizu was, like Mahado, close to the two nobles but was especially close to the younger one because he had not as many lessons as his brother. She had become something like an older sister in Namu's eyes and he loved her just as much as he loved his brother and father, if not even more. Not caring about how inappropriate it was, he leaned in and hugged her tightly, head burried in her stomach. She hesitated for a moment before she shyly put her hands on his shoulders, returning the affection without embracing the noble. He pulled away after a moment and smiled brightly up at her. She smiled back and with that the boy went back to his earlier intention of joining his guests. This time he did not grab Atemu by the wrist because he assumed he would follow.

Everyone was highly pleased with the event and Namu even got to know a young Persian noble who he befriended rather quickly. The party continued without anyone noticing what took place behind the palace walls. Suddenly the huge door was pushed open. Everything went silent as all heads turned to the entrance of the hall. Men armed with swords, bow and arrow, spears and other weapons entered the hall. Panic broke out among all guests.

Mahado turned to Ishizu with disbelieving eyes. "Ishizu, did the Sennen Torc not show you a vision of this?" he asked hastily.

She, too, stared in disbelief, whispering "I don't understand this... I let a great number of extra guards be positioned in front of the palace to prevent this future."

"Are you saying you _knew _this would happen?" another priest, Aknadin, asked furiously.

Ishizu shook her head, not believing her eyes. "I thought I could prevent this with more guards as our security. I don't understand this..." A vicious laughter tore through the tense air and everyone turned back to the entrance. There, before all the other intruders, stood a black horse with a man on its back. He grinned at the Pharaoh's obvious fury.

"Akefia", said the youngest prince. His new Persian friend turned to look at him.

"Prince, do you _know_ this person?" he asked, hoping that maybe this was not an assault but some other guests that decided to make a show out of their arrival. Namu did not listen to him, however, and made eager steps to approach the 'trader'.

"Akefia, you have returned", he said cheerfully, greeting the intruder as if he was an old friend.

"My prince, stay away from that person! That man is known as the King of Thieves!" Ishizu exclaimed at the top of her lungs, hoping to warn the boy in time. In vain. In the blink of an eye the thief had reached to grab the boy and sat the him on the horse in front of him. Namu felt a cool blade pressed to his throat below his choker and gasped which only resulted in breaking the skin, not severe but enough to make it bleed.

"Prince Namu!" A few priests cried. The Pharaoh rose to his feet in anger and pointed an accusatory finger at the intruder.

"Release my son this instant, you thief!" he threatened, his tone harsh and full of rage.

"Or else what? There's nothing you can do to help _your son_", the Thief King spat, pressing the knife closer to the boy's throat which made the little noble back off into the thief's chest. He no longer wished to be close to this person. He was genuinely afraid and just wanted to be safe with his father and brother and the priests again. A frightened tear fell down the prince's cheek. There was nothing he could do. Would he be kidnapped? Killed? He remembered the horrible stories he had heard about the Thief King and his merciless way of robbing and killing. It scared the boy even more, to the extent where he began to uncontrollably shake and sob. He felt an arm sneak around his slim waist and a hot breath tickle against the skin of his neck.

"Don't be afraid", the thief whispered into his ear, voice husky yet gentle.

"Or else you shall feel the wrath of the Gods themselves!" the Pharaoh threatened.

"And sacrifice your precious _son?"_ the thief mocked, emphasizing the word 'son' as if it was an insult that would dirty his tongue. The Pharaoh was silent for a moment, probably wondering what he should do. If he called forth the Gods to punish the thief he might kill his son, too. But if he did nothing to safe him, he did not know what the Thief Kind would do to him. Was there not a way he could safe his son?

"But do not worry, o Pharaoh, for I have merely come to retrieve what is mine already." Namu felt the grip around his waist tighten as his captor said so. Aknamkanon looked up with shocked eyes.

"You...", he began but did not dare to finish voicing his assumption. In that moment the thief turned around with his horse to leave.

"I will have your head on another occasion but not today. I already have what I wanted. Farewell, Pharaoh!" he laughed and dashed together with his prey out of the palace, the other thieves following close behind.

"Guards! After them! Guards!" However, the Pharaoh's commands remained unheard-of as they fell on _dead_ ears. The group of thieves had made sure to kill all the guards that were positioned close to the palace and had no trouble finding their way out either. Aknamkanon sent his priests after the thieves. But it was too late... The thieves had vanished into the far desert with a head start to which the Pharaoh's servants were not able to catch up. Enhancements of guards were sent after the thieves to rescue the kidnapped prince. To no avail. They left no trace in the sand, proof that they really existed washed away by the ever changing dunes of sand. The kingdom felt into a state of despair even as the search for the lost prince went on. Some people had a feeling at the pit of their stomachs that their beloved, cheerful prince was to never return to them ever again...

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><p>The thieves gallopped through the desert towards the rising sun, the wind whipping into their faces as they raced without taking a single break. The little noble trapped in the Thief King's arms had passed out from exhaustion long ago. Grey eyes glanced down at the unconscious prince before him and he could not help the smirk that spread on his features. He had gotten something much more important than what they had originally come for.<p>

"So tell us, Akefia", one of the thieves began as they rode on, "why did we kidnap that noble brat instead of robbing the temple?" The Thief King could hear the disapproval in his voice but ignored it completely, he did not even look at him as he replied.

"Because that 'noble brat'...", he started, never taking his eyes off of the small body in his arms, "...is the Prince of Thieves."

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><p>So much for Chapter 1, I hope you enjoyed it because I loved writing it! There's something else you might want to know:<p>

Namu is in truth Malik of course and his nickname for Akefia used to be "'Kefi" when he was small. In the beginning Akefia was ten and Malik two years old, making them twenty and twelve now. Fair warning: Malik will become older by a few years before anything happens between him and Akefia (but it's still shotacon).

I have a feeling this story is going to be better than the Thiefshipping one I'm also writing on, but maybe that's just because I love Ancient Egypt so much~

Hope to see you in Chapter 2! Bye!


	2. Born A Thief

A/N: A big thanks to everyone who faved and reviewed this story already! (Of course also thanks to everyone else reading and enjoying this~) I had meant to update earlier but this chapter was just a pain to write. It's less of an action-chapter and more of an explanation-chapter because as you can tell there's a lot to explain.

First OC ahead. OCs won't play the biggest role but we need some to fill in the space~ Hope you'll enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Born A Thief

Another night fell upon the mighty kingdom. It was another sad night for the palace of the Pharaoh. The prince was sitting on a balcony, looking towards the dark horizon. His crimson eyes narrowed with unbearable worry. It was the third night without his younger brother in the palace. Everyone had fallen into a state of despair and depression as the search went on. Atemu did not dare to think about what could have possibly happened to his innocent little brother alone with the ruthless criminals. And yet he could not think of anything else. His thoughts always wandered around every possible scenario, each and every one of them more horrible than the prior. He shook his head, hoping to somehow lose these thoughts. They had kept him awake and worried ever since Namu had been taken away. And he had to wonder 'Why?' How would it benefit the thieves to have a prince? Until now the palace had not received a single message from the criminals stating that they wanted gold or treasures in exchange for the boy. They had received nothing and the thieves had left no trace that would lead the guards to them. It was as if the thieves or the prince had never existed. The only reminder that they indeed had was the grief they left behind.

Atemu heard footsteps from behind but did not find the motivation to see who it was. Even if it was a thief or assassin, at the moment he did not care. "My prince..." He recognized the voice, it belonged to Mahado. He sighed and decided to turn around. The priest was kneeling before his feet, head bowed low.

"Do you have anything to report?" He knew there was probably nothing new about the missing prince or the criminals but he would still not give up hope. To his dismay the priest shook his head and he frowned.

"I am afraid there is nothing I could report to you, however..."

"However?" repeated the prince impatiently. Mahado then rose to his feet again. He looked upset and uneasy. Atemu had a feeling he would learn something unpleasent now.

"My prince... I am not entitled to be telling you this but...", he hesitated, the tension increasing. Atemu had to grit his teeth together to refrain from making another impatient remark, instead he waited. "...Prince... Prince Namu, he... he is not your real brother."

Silence had taken over and not a sound could be heard. Mahado did not dare to look the young prince in the eye and held his head low, waiting for a response. Atemu, too, hung his head, eyes fixed on the floor beneath his feet. Two words were whispered. Two words that shocked the priest to his bones. "I know..." he heard the noble say, his voice quiet and uncertain and filled with sorrow. "I know", he repeated. Mahado looked up at him. "I... I did not want to see him as anything less than my brother. Mother told me and she asked me to treat him like my own brother. And so I did. And I never told him... he probably never found out..." Finally, his head rose again. "But why are you telling me this now?"

"So you knew...", the servant muttered to himself. "Then, let me inform you about something else about Prince Namu." He paused once more, granting the other boy a chance to brace himself for this important matter. "He was taken in by your mother, the Queen of Egypt, after the palace had been attacked by a group of thieves."

The boy blinked twice. "A group of thieves? Could it be...?" Mahado shook his head, though.

"We cannot be sure about this I am afraid." There was something else he should know about his brother, Atemu was certain about it. "But what really matters is Prince Namu's origin. His real family..."

Crimson eyes widened immediately and the boy took a step closer to the servant, having to tilt his head upwards to be able to look at him. "You know who his real parents are?" The noble felt an unfamiliar sting of jealousy right then and there. He had been Namu's brother and closest family member since he had been taken in. He did not even want to think about the possibility that his little brother had other 'real' siblings. That would make him number two and he did not want anyone above him, not when it concerned his beloved brother.

"My prince...", Mahado began and went back down on his right knee so he was the one looking up, doing so out of sheer respect for the Pharaoh's son. "This is something not even your father, the Pharaoh, knows. That is why I have to ask you to keep this to yourself and never tell a soul about this. The only other person who knows about this is Priestess Ishizu." Atemu briefly wondered why only the two priests knew about his brother's origin while not even his father did. But he stored that question for later and for now he agreed to the priest's terms and nodded for him to go on. "Back then, when your mother was suffering from malaria, Ishizu was at her deathbed..." Mahado paused for a moment, knowing that reminding the prince of his mother's death was anything but pleasent. Atemu recalled the day his mother had died to be the most agonizing day of his life. She had died at night and he had not been there for her. He had promised to stay by her side until she was better again. The night his mother deceased, however, he fell asleep and was brought to his own bed and in the morning... she was gone. A distant look crossed the young prince's eyes at the memory. He shook himself back to reality, now was not the time to dwell on something like that. "The night before she left to join the Gods she told Ishizu about the truth..."

* * *

><p><em>Mahado, a young priest in training, ran down the hallways of the palace hastily. He had been given the order to bring fresh water to the diseased Queen. He was careful not to spill anything of the precious liquid as he stomped towards the room she was in. He saw the room and slowed down. When he had reached his destination he wanted to barge right into the room but he stopped abruptly when he heard voices from inside. He stayed behind the wall of the room that was separated from the hallway by only two crimson curtains and listened.<em>

_"Ishizu...", said the hoarse voice of the sickly monarch._

_"Yes, your Majesty?" the priestess in training replied and turned the cloth on the Queen's forehead, hoping the other side was cooler. The woman then took the young girl's hand on her forehead into her own and opened her azure eyes to look at her._

_"Ishizu, I need to ask a favor of you...", she pleaded before becoming victim to a fit of coughing._

_"Y-yes? Anything, my Queen."_

_"Take...", she began but had to stop once more to cough, "Take care of Namu, please, take care of him."_

_"Y-your Majesty..." Ishizu was shocked that the Queen would even use the word 'please' since everything she had to do was give her an order and she would do anything. Hearing her pleas made her feel even worse about this situation. Her illness was severe. Maybe she sensed that she would die soon, but Ishizu refused to accept the gentle monarch's death when it had not even arrived yet. She had asked her to take care of the youngest prince. Of course she would do that, but she had to wonder why. Unable to control her young curiosity she asked. "Why Prince Namu, my Queen?"_

_"Because... because he needs a family... a family that will unconditionally love him."_

_"But he does, your Majesty. He has you, his father and bro-"_

_"No!" she sat up, a hurt look on her sickly face. She grabbed the priestess in training by her shoulders who could feel her trembling violently. She was about to tell the woman to lie back down to prevent worsening her condition but had no chance to do so. "Namu is... he is not my own son... I found him..."_

_The girl's eyes widened upon hearing that confession. "What...?" she breathed out, barely audible. She felt the shaking increase and a tear rolled down the Queen's tan cheek._

_"I found him over a year ago when we were attacked by a hord of thieves...", she explained, another tear freeing itself from her eyes, "He was with another boy. The guards said they had chased them down because they belonged to the group of thieves but...", she exhaled shakily, "...the other boy had already been killed and... I could not... I did not have the heart to leave him to be executed as well and so... so I took him in and I... I never told my husband that he was the child of thieves. But if they were to ever find out... Ishizu..." She was by now sobbing and she tightened her grip on the girl's shoulders with the last bit of strength she had. "I want you to be there for him. Please, Ishizu... watch over that unfortunate child..." The Queen lowered her head out of exhaustion and despair and waited for the other female to answer. _

_Ishizu was frozen in pure shock but found the strength and will to put a comforting hand on the desperate Queen's shoulder. The woman looked up to meet soft, sapphire eyes, smiling at her. Ishizu herself was by now close to tears but she told herself to be strong for the other's sake. She would not disappoint her dear Queen. "I promise to protect him from any harm and be like an older sister to him. I swear by the name of Isis. I will always be there for him, I swear this, Majesty..."_

_Mahado stood frozen, bowl in both hands, eyes wide. And before he knew it, he had decided to fulfill the Queen's last wish together with Ishizu, to never let anything harm the innocent child of thieves..._

* * *

><p>"I am ashamed that I failed", Mahado said, finishing the story, "I failed to protect him. Although I never swore this to the Queen herself, I still swore by the name of the Gods themselves. They should punish me fo-"<p>

"He knows", Atemu suddenly interrupted.

"Pardon?"

The young noble growled to himself. His look of shock had turned into one of fury and loathing. "The thief! That thief that took Namu away! He knows that he's the child of a thief!" he burst out. The priest's eyes widened as soon as he realized what the prince had just said. "This is why he captured my brother!"

"But... what do they intend to do with him?"

"I don't know... I just hope they don't intend to kill him. Anyway, where is the search detachment? I will not rest until my brother returns safely..."

* * *

><p>Darkness and pain. Two things he did not like but still they were the two things present that he could make out at the moment. It soon enough dawned on him that darkness had enveloped him only because he had been asleep and had now woken up. All he needed to do was open his eyes, if only they did not feel so heavy. He had been sleeping well, why not go back to sleep and rest for a while longer? Then again, he was reminded of the pain. His whole body seemed to ache, places he was not even aware could hurt. He exhaled in exhaustion and accidentally let a groan slip out. He wondered why he was hurting everywhere and what had happened the night before. It was then that he decided he was far too curious to go right back to sleep and instead he forced his eyes open. When the blur left his eyes he could make out shapes and colors and-<p>

This was _not_ his room. His eyes snapped open and he sat up in an instant, observing his surroundings. It was a middle-sized room, the straw-covered ceiling had been the first to come into sight. There were thin, red curtains hanging over every window, shielding his view from what was outside. The walls seemed to have been made of mudbrick or something similar. On the floor were several carpets, all in different colors without making any sense beside one another, the only purpose to cover the floor. Looking at the floor, his eyes finally caught sight of the object he was sitting on. It was a very luxurious looking bed with a padded headboard, several soft pillows were scattered all over it. There were several layers of linen serving as blankets and overall it was highly comfortable, no wonder he had slept so well. He looked for a door and found it to be covered by another curtain that allowed some light in to illuminate the room. It was without a doubt daytime, judging from the light that flooded in through the curtains and the warmth that came with it. He found a small oil lamp that was still aflame, sitting on the only table in the room. Someone must have left it there in case he awoke during night time. He thought this to be very considerate of whoever this house belonged to.

The question from before still remained - where was he? He felt the need to be wary no matter how nicely this person had cared for him. He should have probably thought about this longer, but his curiosity got the better of him, like it always did, and he got off of the bed in one swift motion. He felt his knees buckle beneath him but manage to stay on his feet. Only now did he realize that he felt rather weak, especially standing on his own feet without any sort of support. He went to the entrance of the room nevertheless, pushing the curtain aside ever so carefully and glanced outside. The sun was so bright that it hurt his eyes and he had to shield them with his arm. After a few seconds they adjusted to the change of light and for the first time did he see where he actually was.

"A village?" he said voicing the first thought that had come to his mind. And the little noble was not at all wrong with that assumption. From where he was standing and staring he could see several other houses that resembled the one he had just come out of and there even were some people walking around, not many though, the village seemed to be rather small. How had he gotten here? He felt panicky but knew better than to become desperate now. He could simply ask those villagers, maybe he was not even far from home. His head turned to his right and the sight made him beam. There was an oasis, full of the precious liquid he felt himself thirsty for, now that he had seen it. He unconsciously went to approach the spring, amazed by its beauty and intrigued for it was the first time he actually saw one with his own eyes. The otherwise sandy ground was, around the oasis, graced with the presence of various plants, palm trees and much green. Part of the crystal clear water was in the shadow of said plants and had to be the nicest spot on a hot day such as this one.

He drew closer, now aware of what he was doing but not at all bothered by it. All earlier intentions of asking the villagers questions had vanished the moment he had laid eyes on this beautiful miracle of the desert. He reluctantly dipped the toes of his right foot into the water and immediately relaxed at the cool feeling, letting the rest of his foot sink in. His other foot joined shortly after and he began to splash around, even happier about his newest discovery now.

"Who are you?" came suddenly a voice from right behind him. He jumped, startled, and whirled around quickly. There stood a young man with dark brown hair, clothed in a sandy colored sarong and a brown robe that was held together by a red cloth around his waist. He was obviously an adult, maybe even older than twenty years. His golden eyes glared down at him from their high position. It made the boy very uneasy and therefore he carefully stepped out of the water, not closer to the man though. "I have never seen you before. Where did you come from?"

Namu was yet again reminded that he had meant to ask the very same question before he had found the oasis. "I-I don't know...", he stuttered. It did not seem to satisfy the other who merely narrowed his eyes and straightened up more.

"What is that supposed to mean? What is your name?" he asked, not trusting those innocent eyes even a little bit.

The boy did not notice that he was by now trembling quite obviously and therefore did nothing to hide it. He did not know where he was nor who had taken him here or why. The only question he could answer was who he was. Hope arose in him when he thought that maybe he would be recognized by his name, being the Pharaoh's son, and would be helped. "My name is Namu."

The other male rose an eyebrow, suspicious. "Namu you say?" The boy nodded vigorously. Had the other recgnized him? He hoped so because he wanted to go home as fast as possible. The man's reply was not what he had longed for though. "Never heard of anyone with that name." Namu's face dropped in the blink of an eye and the other noticed this.

"I am Minkabh", he said, most likely out of mere politeness. The boy's reaction had made him think over his first impression and he decided to give him another chance. "And you have no idea how you got here?" A shake of the smaller boy's head confirmed this. "Then where were you before you came to the oasis?"

Namu pointed to the house that was just a few feet away, only then noticing that it was bigger than most others. "That house over there, with the red curtains."

"Hm?" Minkabh's eyes widened upon recognizing the building. "Are you sure? That one is Akefia's house."

_"'Kefi..."_

The boy's breath hitched and he gasped. Memories of the previous night were coming back to him like lightening when it struck a tree. Akefia, the Thief King himself, had kidnapped him in the middle of his birthday party, in the palace, before his family. And he had taken him to this place. How far was it from home? Why was he not here? When would he come back? What would he do to him when he did? He did not even realize how his uneven breathing had become hyperventilating and that his knees were once more giving in under him, making him collaps on them on the sandy ground. He held a hand to his face to cover his mouth, lavender, horrified eyes wide with fear.

"Kid, are you alright?" Minkabh asked, slightly appalled by the sudden change in the boy's behaviour. He reacted abnormal to the mention of Akefia's name. What was there to it? The boy did not look like he had heard his question so he bent down to shake him by the shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

Finally the boy looked up again, tears cascading down his tan cheeks. "H-he..." When he saw the boy's expression and how he seemed afraid to tell him what had happened, he guessed something he hoped was not true. "He took me away... to this place... and I-I... will I ever see my family again? I want to go home! I don't want to stay here!" the young noble blurted out, desperate, and seemingly on the edge of a mental breakdown.

The man wanted to sigh in relief that his guesses were proven wrong. He thought Akefia had done Ra knows what to the boy, but seeing that the boy seemed disturbed nonetheless he deemed it to be wiser to just say nothing about it. Comforting had never been his strength but he tried his best anyway. He felt sorry for the boy, he was still a child. The hand that had been on his shoulder to shake him was now on his head, patting it in what he hoped to be a soothing manner. He was about to let go when he felt the boy relax slightly.

"Is this how you treat a prince, Minkabh?" came a familiar voice from behind him together with a mischievous chuckle. Said man turned around, now face to face with the person whose name had been mentioned not too long ago. A crimson robe, exposed tan chest, light sarong, wild, white hair and a mysterious scar over the right eye. Minkabh stood up, a suspicious look on his face.

"What do you mean by...", he wanted to say 'prince' but realization stopped him from finishing. His golden eyes widened and he turned back to the boy who gazed up in fear at the man who had joined them. "_He _is the prince?"

Akefia said nothing, only grinned and took a few steps towards the trembling child. Namu fell back onto his rear as he tried to scramble away from his captor who seemed to have no intentions of staying where he was. The boy felt himself frozen in fear. He wanted to run or at least scream but found that he had neither the strength nor the voice to do so. The tears fell and all he could do was watch as the Thief King knelt down in front of him. A large hand rose to the terrified face and the boy ceased breathing and closed his eyes. He could not stand watching the thief do something hurtful to him. If only blocking him out of his view would make him disappear altogether. He felt the man's breath on his face as he spoke. "Why so scared, Majesty?" All he received was a helpless whimper as the boy refused to open his eyes.

Please let it end soon, he pleaded and prayed to the Gods. 'Please, please, please, oh please...', he repeated over and over again, hoping the message would reach heaven. In the next moment he felt something brush his cheek and his eyes snapped open. Akefia wiped away another tear, tender and affectionate. But Namu refused to believe that the thief cared about whether he cried and was in pain or not. It made his blood boil with anger, that the thief would dare such an action after what he had done. "Liar", he growled before even knowing he would say it.

The thief's expression remained the same, a playful smirk, not in the least surprised or taken aback by the insult. It fueled the boy's rage. "You lied to me, and you kidnapped me."

"So I did", the thief confirmed, now finished with drying the boy's face. No more tears fell as the expression became hateful and furious. "It was a necessity."

"For what purpose?" the young noble spat, all fear gone.

"Now, now, my Prince. How about we go somewhere more private to discuss that matter?" The boy wanted to protest but reminded himself that the thief could just kill him if he did not obey. As much as he wanted to repay his kidnapper, he still feared death more than being alone with a criminal. Akefia nodded towards Minkabh as a sign for him to continue whatever it was he had been doing. The other man obeyed and left the two alone. The thief then led him back into the house in which he had woken up and let him sit on the bed while he kept standing. He leaned his back against the table opposite the boy and crossed his arms. "What you want to know is why you are here", he stated calmly. Namu merely nodded so he would go on. His anger had decreased a bit since his curiosity had decided to take over again.

"I do not intend to use you for a high ransom, no, in fact...", the man's grin widened which made the boy become more irritable. "I intend to keep you here for the rest of your life." When the thief finished Namu could once more do nothing but stare, mostly in disbelief and yet again in despair. He was going to be kept here forever? He would never see his family and home ever again? Was this it? Would he have to spend the rest of his life in fear and agony?

"But why?" he asked, desperate. "Why would you want to keep me here?"

"Because you are not who you think you are."

"What do you mean?" The more he heard the less he understood. Why did this thief have to speak in riddles?

"You are not the son of the Pharaoh and not a prince of Egypt", the Thief King continued and Namu could not believe his ears. This person had kidnapped him out of the palace, of course he was a prince. Akefia saw the boy's expression grow more and more confused by the second and he decided to end this game and finally tell him the truth he had been waiting for. For this he approached the bed the boy was sitting on and, like before, knelt down in front of him. The little noble tensed up immediately and tried to put some space between them by pulling his legs onto the bed. However, one of his ankles was grabbed by the thief's quick hands.

"Your name is Malik-"

'What?'

"-and your father's name was Khalid-"

'No...'

"-the former King of Thieves-"

'Stop.'

"-And that makes you the Prince of Thieves." By the time Akefia had finished, the boy was covering his ears to block the other's words out.

"Lies!" the boy yelled, his eyes shut tightly. "My name is Namu! My father is Aknamkanon, the Pharaoh, and I am _not_ the son of a thief!" The young prince was panting heavily from his ourburst and made no move to uncover his ears. He did not want to hear the thief's lies. Why was he saying those things? Was he trying to force him onto the thieves' side? Never, _never_ would that person convince him of defecting to the enemy.

"You cannot hide from the truth", he heard the other say ever so calmly and contained.

"I am not. Why should I believe _you_?" he asked, his ears now free for new information again. Why would he believe the person who had kidnapped him, a criminal and the Thief Kind no less? He eyed said thief who was still holding his foot captive.

"Have you never wondered about certain things? Why do you and your _brother_ look so different?"

"Siblings don't always look alike", the boy defended himself.

"And have you never felt like a prisoner in the palace?" Both knew the answer which made the older one smirk once again while the other looked very uneasy. He had always wanted to leave the palace but was never allowed to. They said it was too dangerous and he was still too young. He had always sought freedom. "They cannot lock you up, Malik. You were born a thief after all."

"No, I was not! So what if I did not like staying in the palace all my life? That is not proof that I am..."

"Oh, forgive me, Majesty", the thief said sarcastically and lowered his head. At first the boy thought he was acting and just bowing. However, after a moment he was proven wrong, for he felt a pair of lips brush softly against his foot. He gasped at the boldness and the strange sensation. The Thief King looked back up at him and had to fight the urge to laugh at the flustered face the boy was making, instead he chuckled. A sound that sent chills down the noble's spine. "I was not finished yet. I am capable of proving this to be the truth."

Finally he released the boy's foot and stood up. "I will show you, but not today. For now, why don't you take a look around the village. Since this is going to be your new home you should begin to get used to it." The boy wanted to yell at him and curse him for being so casual as if he was a guest. "But as I am quite certain your Majesty would try to escape I personally saw to it so you would have a guide to show you around the village and take care of you all the while", the thief finished, smirking in triumph. The noble could do nothing but obey, seeing that this was his only chance to survive. An idea struck him. He could not run away today but maybe if he did everything he was told and be a 'good boy', then he might have a chance to escape. All he needed to do was gain their trust. But how hard would it be to make a horde of thieves trust you?

Akefia glanced to his side towards the door. "You can come in now", he called. A second later a man entered the room. He was tall and his body looked well-built even through his dark clothes. His skin was a shade darker than his or the the Thief King's. He was practically bald safe for the black ponytail in the back of his head. What especially caught the boy's attention was the tattoo on the left side of his face. It consisted of hieroglyphics. Unfortunately, the man was too far away and the characters were too small for the boy's eyes to decipher. His amber eyes were looking sternly at the Thief King at the moment but, as if he could feel the boy staring, he shifted his attention to said boy. Looking directly into his eyes, the noble felt that they just seemed hard and merciless at first but upon closer observation they were gentle. They were very different from Akefia's because the thief never distributed 'gentle' looks. But this man, although he knew he could be a thief as well, had this warm aura about him that made him trustworthy and the young noble felt a little safer to know that someone like him would be around.

The Thief King gestured towards the man, "If I may, little prince, this is Rishid. He is my right-hand man which is why I entrusted him with the honorable task of showing you around your new home." So this man would be the one to show him around. It relieved the boy, if only a bit. But_ right-hand man? _That had to mean he was a thief as well. Then another thought crossed the blond's already stressed out mind. Did the rest of the village consist of thieves as well? Namu gulped thickly at that idea. If it had been a bedtime story told by his brother or one of his favorite priests, a village full of thieves would have sounded thrilling. But right now he was praying once again to Ra and any other God that might hear him to let the other villagers be just that - _villagers_, not thieves. The man known as Rishid bowed slightly, showing his respect, and extended a hand to gesture for the boy to follow.

"Please follow me", he said, voice deep and raspy. The boy found himself obeying too quickly even for his own taste. In a matter of seconds he was standing right in front of the tall man, waiting for further instructions. Akefia's grin from before had vanished with the boy's eager and quick action. He did not like how the boy had been talking back to him just a few minutes ago and was now heeding Rishid's every order. Not only that, he also seemed to be obviously more comfortable now that the other male was around. It should have been him who the boy was comfortable to be around not someone he had just met. He quickly brushed that thought aside and turned to leave the house before the duo. "Go back to the house as soon as you are finished. And, Rishid..." The Thief King stopped in his tracks to look over his shoulder at the man he had addressed. "Make sure his Majesty does not try anything." The tall right-hand man bowed his head as if saying 'understood' and Akefia left.

The boy was shown to the village right away. To his surprise he was given the freedom to walk around freely without any chains or ropes. Rishid was walking right behind him, telling him occasionally to turn right or left as they wandered the small village. Namu noticed, yet again with relief, that the people seemed to be indeed just normal villagers. He even saw two younger children playing with a goat as they walked on. There were women who were transporting fresh water to their houses. He noticed that there were no old people. He knew that it was common to die at the age of 40 but obviously none of villagers had reached that age limit yet. Everyone seemed to be quite young. The whole village itself looked very new. Most houses looked like the people that resided in them now were the ones who had built them back then. The mudbrick was rather light and the ground that formed the streets looked like it had not been used too many times yet. Everything still looked so fresh. Curious, the noble turned around to face his guide.

"May I ask you a question?" he inquired shyly. A nod from the other made him continue. "When was this village built?"

"Ten years ago", the man said, "The former Thief King let this village be built after he had lost his wife and son." Namu tensed up at the word 'son'. Akefia had claimed that he was the former Thief King's son which, of course, he still deemed to be absurd. Did Rishid know? Did he think the same as Akefia? "He used to travel with everyone and everything, but after that incident he decided that taking everyone with him was not safe. He had disapproved of the idea of a temporary residence at first. He found it to be too risky to have a place the thieves would always return to. The incident changed him entirely. He let this village be built in order to leave women, children, livestock and injured men somewhere safe and hidden."

"But", the boy interfered, "this does not seem like such a good hideout." He took another look around to make sure he was not saying something that was not true. The village lay open to all kinds of attacks in his opinion. The village might have been protected by giant rock walls from most sides but there was still one side that was completely open. If any soldiers ever happened to be nearby they would, without a doubt, find this village.

"Fortunately, Djane, this village, is not only protected by these common rocks but also by a spell."

"A spell?" Namu was eager to learn more if it concerned magic. He had always been interested in witchcraft and would have studied it if his father had not made clear that he did not want his youngest son to learn about these things. He never understood why. His older brother had been taught many things about it already, then why could he not learn it, too? He mentally shook his head. Now was not the time to complain about something so trivial, he was still captured in this spell-protected village somewhere in the eternally wide desert.

"Yes, you see, we have a few spell casters among us. They refresh the spell every two days. The spell is actually a barrier that keeps this village hidden to the eye of an outside", the man explained.

"But how?"

"It is best if I show you." Namu gave him a nod and they went to the entrance of the small village, passing various villagers by that were giving him all sorts of looks. Some looked astounded, others disapproving and some even seemed excited by his presence. The boy could only guess that what Akefia claimed to be the truth had made its round throughout the village. Perhaps all of the villagers now thought that he was the son of the former Thief King. No good.

"Here we are. This is the barrier", Rishid announced and gestured a hand towards the wide desert. Namu looked and looked, squinted his eyes and peered even closer but there was just _nothing_. The older male seemed to have sensed the boy's confusion and asked him to take a few steps forward. He did as he was told but still saw nothing. He whirled around, about to tell the man that he did not see anything that could even resemble a barrier but the words were caught in his throat. His amethyst eyes went wide in an instant as he stared back at where should have been the village.

"What happened!" he asked in a panicked tone as he stared in horror at the now huge, empty space between the rocks. There should have been the village, right there where he was looking but there was nothing. He felt panic rise to the surface as his heartbeat picked up the pace. He stepped closer to the now deserted place, "H-hello? I-is anybody there?" He jumped with a start when suddenly, right in front of him, out of nowhere, Rishid appeared again. He gasped but then lightened up with excitement. "How did you do that?"

Rishid's lips curled up in an almost invisible, but still present smile, amused by the child's eagerness. "I did nothing but walk through the barrier I told you about." And suddenly everything made sense to the boy and he let out a groan. Of course, he thought.

"The barrier keeps the village hidden to the eye of an outsider", he said, repeating the man's words from earlier. "Now I understand. Then this place really is well-hidden." At first Namu was relieved because that meant that no one was likely to attack them as long as the spell was active. And then he looked at it from another angle, this also meant that nobody that was searching for him was likely to find him any time soon. Practically, he was locked in once more with the difference that this was not the palace. This was a small village in which he did not know anyone and where he had to fear for his life. Up until now they had not hurt him in any way. Was this because they thought he was the Thief Prince? The title 'prince' had remained but he liked the idea of being the Prince of Egypt more than being the Prince of Thieves. He did not want anything to do with all of this. He realized that his plan of escaping as soon as they trusted him enough to pay less attention to him was out of the question now. They would never let their 'prince' go that easily. And even if he managed to sneak out somehow and actually make it back home, he was certain that they would come for him again. He could feel wet tears gathering in his eyes, ready to spill out. A lump was building itself in his throat as he tried to fight back the tears.

"Are you feeling well?" came the concerned question from the man in front of him. Namu did not reply as he was afraid that it might come out too choked due to the lump in his throat. He did not look at him but nodded. Rishid felt guilty, he knew the boy had to carry a heavy burden. He decided that distracting him was the best thing to do. "I will show you to the fairground now. They might have started preparatiosn already."

Namu looked down so his bangs were covering his eyes and quickly rubbed them dry with his sleeve before looking up again. "Alright." He followed the man back through the barrier and was able to see the village again. He was walking beside Rishid instead of in front of him this time. He trusted the man so far, he had not done anything to him and seemed to be really nice, he thought. "Rishid?" he said, thankful that he had remembered the other's name. "You said they had started preparations already but you didn't say for what. Is there going to be a festival?"

"You could say that", he responded with a nod of his head. "Akefia is responsible for this. He wanted to celebrate the prince's return. In other words, this is a festival especially for you, Master Malik." The boy stopped in his tracks, speechless. Rishid thought the same, he had even called him by his supposedly 'real' name. Before Rishid could ask what was wrong the boy had already started walking again, pretending to be perfectly fine. He decided that he would have to get used to this until he knew what to do. He just hoped the Gods would grace him with a good plan soon. For now he might as well just play along. He was sure that as long as he was the prince they would not hurt him.

"As I thought, they have begun already", Rishid said as soon as they reached their destination. Namu eyed the square where men and women had started decorating the place already. Cloths and rags in all colors were being hung over ropes that went across the square over their heads, connecting one house to another. Tables were being placed in corners and the ground was being cleaned off of any bigger stones and other obstacles. "The festival is being held in three days. We still have plenty of time for preparing", the man mused. The boy vaguely remembered that he had meant to ask him something but it was all forgotten when his eyes caught sight of a person that was helping with the preparations. She was humming to herself as she cleaned one of the tables. Her snow white hair flowing around her body, sapphire eyes shining with happiness and an angelic smile placed on her lips. She stood up straight when she was finished with the task, her cream colored tunic moving along. She sensed someone looking her way and found the little noble a few feet away from her right next to the Thief King's right-hand man. She went up to him with a smile and bowed slightly.

"You must be Malik", she said cheerfully, "My name is Kisara. It is such an honor meeting you personally."

"Uhm..." The boy was not sure what to say but there was no need to because another person joined their conversation. A deep chuckle came from somewhere behind him. He knew that voice.

"You should indeed be honored", the husky voice said and Namu now knew that he did not need to turn around to confirm who it was, nor did he want to. He closed his eyes in an annoyed fashion and in the next moment he felt a stong hand grab his shoulder. "So, Majesty, enjoying the little tour through Djane?" He received no answer. "Just where have your manners gone, my _Prince_?" With the last word the boy felt his shoulder being yanked back and he was forced to turn around and lavender met deep gray - only now did he notice that the color to describe the man's eyes could not be gray only, there was also a tint of violet in those eyes and, if you looked close enough, there even was red shimmering in those two pools. He found himself admiring that unique color that went so well with the white hair with an equally strange tint of violet. He had seen his hair for the first time today, he now realized. When he had been kidnapped the thief had it covered with a piece of headwear. It was a wild mane of untamed hair that suited the rest of him, especially his personality, just all too well. Not to forget the strangely shaped scar that went across his right eye. His stare was intensely boring into him that made him shift unconsciously. There was this indescribable feeling of nostalgia when he looked into those eyes. "Is something wrong, Majesty?" he heard the man ask when he averted his eyes.

"Your eyes", the boy whispered.

"What about them?" the thief questioned, pulling the boy closer to him by the still captured shoulder.

"I..." The young noble looked up into those strangely familiar eyes again. It felt too much like a déjà-vu to have those eyes in combination with the messy white hair right in front of him, so close. "...I know them..."

The Thief King smirked at him and let go of the boy's shoulder. Instead he took a small, fragile hand into his own, raised it to his face and planted a chaste kiss onto its back. "Of course you do, Malik."

* * *

><p>AN: Geez, Akefia! Two kisses in one chapter? Okay so the village's name in 'Djane' (used to be an ancient Egyptian town if my information is correct), Rishid is Akefia's right-hand man, Kisara is a villager, Minkabh is an (unimportant) OC, Atemu knows the truth and we have a party for Malik ahead of us.

About chapter 3, I'm not completely sure yet but I think I'll call it 'Spirits of Kul Elna', so what does that tell us? Who knows...

**Now something interesting **(for a change)**: The cover to this fanfic is up! **The link is in my profile, please check it out if you are interested~


	3. Spirits of Kul Elna

A/N: I'm sorry for the late update! I had trouble with a virus and couldn't use my laptop for about a week (meaning no writing until 3 am when I have the most inspiration. Damn.) But to make up for that I wrote an extra long chapter (the longest I have ever written - more than 10,000 words~).

Last time I didn't properly thank everyone so I'll do that now (it was probably because I usually update in the middle of the night unlike now). A big thank you to everyone who reviewed:

**Marikshipper, Alug-Andaaz-Hai, Mariklover222, Pockyfeind, NikaStarlight, Leviathan of the Sea, J. L. Lunar, zukofan2005, FormerV, EloiseRaeCullen **and** Anamique4**. Thank you everyone! Your support means a lot to me!

**WARNING: **This chapter contains violence and gore.

And I have some questions for you at the bottom. Please read them and if possible answer, please? Other than that: Please enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Spirits of Kul Elna

"O great Gods...", a voice echoed around the large hall of the temple of Isis. The raven haired woman knelt down before the tall statue of the Goddess, hands placed over her Sennen Torc and azure eyes closed as she prayed. "I am begging thee... show me what my mortal eye cannot see." A warm light emitted from her necklace as its ability was activated. Pictures and voices came to flood the priestess' mind. A whole scene unfolded itself in front of her. She could see a village she was not able to name but she tried to memorize every little detail - mostly small houses, light walls, occassionally painted with different colors and patterns, majestic rock walls protecting the small village. She was drawn closer to one of the houses. It was bigger than the others and had crimson colored curtains that flew about with the blowing of the wind. Finally she was able to see the inside of it. What came into her vision almost made her fall backwards, instead she gasped.

"Namu...", she breathed shakily, feeling tears gather behind her closed eyelids. She could see him and he was looking well. "I am so relieved..." However, her relief was short lived when she caught sight of the other person in the house - the King of Thieves. He was standing right next to the boy who tried to look everywhere except in the thief's direction. He looked unsure and insecure, eyes darting to every corner of the room until finally settling on the carpeted floor. The thief's lips stretched with a smirk, seemingly amused. Ishizu could feel her blood boil at the sight. Namu was obviously unharmed but looked utterly flustered. Of course he would. He was being held captive by a thief after all. He had to be scared to his innocent, little core. It made Ishizu even more furious to see how his kidnapper was enjoying his plight. How could one do this to a child, she wondered. The boy was only twelve years old. She mentally shook the thought off. The original question still remained. What did the thief want with Namu? He was not injured, so they had not done anything to him yet. It should relieve her but she could not rid herself of the feeling that something bad would happen to the boy.

She heard a sound so small she would have missed it if not for her exceptionally strong concentration. She realized that it had been the little noble, clearing his throat nervously. "Where...", he began in a weak voice. Realizing this, he cleared his throat once more and tried again. "Where will I be sleeping?" Saying that he felt uncomfortable would have been a huge understatement. He felt painfully out of place but was already very sleepy again and, having seen the soft bed he had previously slept in, he remembered that he needed somewhere to sleep. He was going to stay for... a while after all. How long he did not know. He still hoped he would come up with a good plan soon, very soon.

"For now you will sleep here", Akefia answered, gesturing to the bed behind him. Namu had been afraid to hear that although it seemed inevitable.

"But..." He could not bring himself to word what he was thinking. It was embarrassing, especially when it concerned his captor. Because sleeping in this bed would mean... that they had to share it, right?

Akefia, sharp as he was, knew why the boy was being so reluctant and teasingly shook his head, chuckling. "Not to worry, little Prince. I will sleep on the roof. I prefer sleeping there over here anyway, especially at this time of the year." He was refering to the cool night air he would be granted. Inside those small houses the air could get thick and humid easily. Namu was not used to anything of the sort. He had always had the perfect climate back in the palace. The air in the palace walls was very chilly during nights but he could get more blankets whenever he wanted. This, however, was something else. He only had the blankets that were already on the bed and maybe, or most likely, he would not need them in a room as narrow, compared to his huge chamber in the palace, as this one. And, being the spoiled little royal he was, he could not know that what the thief supplied him with was more than a humble Egyptian citizen could afford.

"Oh", he said at long last, sounding clearly relieved to the thief's trained ears.

"Anything else, Majesty?" As if on cue a loud growling sound could be heard that made the boy almost jump in surprise. After he had figured out that it had been his stomach that had kindly reminded him that he was practically, not hungry, but _starving_, he scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Perhaps a proper meal then", Akefia said who did nothing to hide the amusement as he said so. Namu had heard it of course and was even more ashamed now. This was a serious situation he was in, how could his body think about eating now?

"Make yourself comfortable. I will arrange something." And with that the thief left the boy by himself yet again. Sapphire eyes watched the whole scene take place. Ishizu was still skeptical about this whole situation. She was certain, this Thief King was only acting nice. But for what purpose? She had to find out.

Determined, she opened her eyes again, the glowing of her Sennen Item ceasing momentarily. She looked up into the face of the Goddess statue, wondering. Wondering what this was all about and what the Gods were thinking. What _were_ they thinking? She did not see their point. As a mere human, of course she could not understand the motives of the Gods but she had an advantage that no other human had. Her grip on the precious golden necklace tightened and she closed her eyes once more. This time she intended to see the near future, a significant event that was yet to take place. The darkness of her closed eyelids was replaced by gray, thick mist. The irritating fog passed her by and she was confronted with yet another village. But it was not the same small village she had seen before. No. This could not even be referred to as a village anymore. There were only ruins of what were once houses. Houses in which once families lived. Families that were most likely not alive anymore. A horrible feeling enveloped the priestess. Those ruins made her heart fill with unease and dread. She gulped at the pressure she was suddenly feeling. It was weighing her down as if wet clothes had been thrown on her, forcing her lower and lower. She could feel it clearly now. That aura in which those ruins were enveloped. The whole place screamed of one word.

Death.

Ishizu instantly knew that she did not want to linger for longer than necessary. She intensified her concentration on her Sennen Torc as if rushing it to show her what she wanted to know. Her field of vision was drawn to a certain ruin. It was not big in height but it was larger in size than all the other houses. In the middle of those ruins was a platform, still in fairly good shape. In the center of the stone platform were stairs which her mind descended. They led her into a great hall. The walls were made of dark stone much like the floor. The place was illuminated by a purple light. How strange. The source of the oddly colored light were two torches that rested beside what looked like a stone altar in the middle of the hall. And in front of the altar stood a person-

Ishizu gasped. There stood a child with platinum blond hair, a dark cloak swishing behind his small back. "Namu...", she heard her own voice whisper for the second time that evening. He was standing in front of the altar, head tilted upward to look at something that at first sight resembled the fog that covered the dead village. For a second sight, however, was no time. The priestess was forcefully torn from her vision, her powers completely used up. Back to reality her hands clutched the ground beneath her to keep her from falling forward from exhaustion. Panting heavily, she tried to recall what she had just witnessed. The vision was from a few days from now, she did not know the exact date. But that did not matter! She had just seen her beloved prince, the prince she felt had become more of a little brother to her than anything else. She had seen him, in that terrifying place that was so obviously embraced by Death's clutches that it made her feel sick in an instant.

She had to tell Mahado.

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><p>Namu was sitting on the bed, his feet swinging forth and back in a childlike manner. The growling of his stomach reminded him once more of what he was waiting for. To distract himself, he looked around the room like he had done earlier already. He felt himself torn between anxiety and comfort. He noted that this room had a typical home atmosphere which helped ease his nervousness. On the other hand, he felt constantly uneasy about his predicament. He could never rest under these circumstances. Before long, the curtain was pushed aside and the Thief King came back inside with one bowl in each hand. He crouched down before the blond boy to be on eye level with him. Namu took notice of the content of both bowls. One was filled with water from the spring and the other with different sorts of food - dried meat, an onion, grapes and dates. Again, he had no idea that he should feel lucky that he had fallen into the hands of someone who could support their captive. It was nothing compared to the palace but he was grateful that he got something to eat after all. It was definitely welcome.<p>

"I know his Majesty is used to better food but I hope that this modest meal will satisfy you nevertheless", the thief spoke in a humble tone. The boy frowned a bit. He could not even convince a child of his modesty, which had never been his intention anyway. Namu was given both bowls and privacy to dine in peace. He watched the other leave the room again and could not help the suspicious feeling he was getting. What if the food was poisoned? He had not thought about this before. Then again, why would his captor want to kill him after going through all the trouble of kidnapping him and gain nothing? Maybe it was naive of him to think he would not be harmed but he was too hungry to give it a second thought. Thankful for the meal, he began to eat some of the dates and realized that it tasted just as good as what he was used to at the palace. When he had finished he decided it would be best to stay where he was. He had been given a tour through the village already. Although he was sure there were more things for him to discover in this place, he refrained from snooping around. Being at the mercy of a criminal meant he needed to prevent trouble. And if he wanted to prevent trouble, he knew, staying were he was and do what is asked of him was the best way to do so.

The thief did not come back again, not even hours after he had left the boy to eat. Namu was by now very exhausted because of all the stress he had to endure all day long. This situation made him worry all the time, never giving him a break, which was exactly why he felt so worn out now even though the sun had just set. He fell back on the bed and cuddled the sheets. If he was allowed to use this comfortable bed then he would exploit that for now. He sighed softly before letting sleep take over.

Akefia sat on a woven carpet on the roof of his house as he gazed into the starry sky. A sea of black, adorned with a million of sparkling dots. He let himself fall back onto the carpet and crossed his arms behind the back of his head. A sigh escaped his lips. He had not felt so at peace in a very long time. Malik was finally back. Back then, when he had woken up after being beaten unconscious, he had thought that the boy had been killed by the guards. He had shed tears like he had not since the day he had lost his parents. The guilt had almost driven him insane. He had promised Khalid, the Thief King at that time, that he would protect his wife and son. And what had he done? Nothing. He had not been able to prevent their deaths. He had not known how to face the Thief King but knew that he had to. Djane had been born when he had returned. While all men had helped to build the village, he trained. He trained like never before, harder than before and without mercy for himself. He wanted to become stronger so that never again would someone have to die because he could not protect them. Khalid taught him everything he knew and when he died Akefia still did not stop to become stronger, more experienced and more mature. He trained all of his senses to perfection and never let anything fool him.

He closed his eyes, allowing the next breeze to play with his white hair. He had succeeded. His people were safe when he was around. And now that the lost prince had returned. Now that he knew he was alive. Now that he had him back, he could grant himself some well-earned rest. And tomorrow he would show the boy to his destiny.

* * *

><p>The sun had almost risen over the dunes of sand already. That was Akefia's cue to tell everyone he had selected to get up and get ready for their trip. He woke the few people up, some more and some less gently. He instructed them to feed and prepare the horses for the ride and when all had been arranged he reached his final task - namely awakening the sleeping prince.<p>

Stepping behind the crimson curtain into his house, he grinned at the sight that greeted him. The small blond was curled up in a ball inbetween linen and cushions. His face held no grimace, no frown, nothing. He looked calm and peaceful, so at ease that nobody would be able to guess he was not here of his own free will. For the first time since he had been kidnapped the boy looked truly relaxed. The thief almost felt guilty for having to disturb that rare moment of peace and comfort. Almost. Had he not abandoned his weak emotions long ago. And guilt was only one of many.

He approached the bed stealthily like the professional criminal he was. Bending down, he lingered over the sleeping form for another silent moment. Only the soft, steady breathing could be heard. The only movement was the soft rise and fall of the boy's upper body. He frowned, his gray eyes narrowing. He had meant to wake the boy but he was hesitating, and he could not explain why. Finally he made up his mind and placed a hand over the boy's shoulder, shaking gently.

"Malik", he said and the boy stirred. Long-lashed, lavender eyes fluttered open slowly and soft, tanned hands came up to rub the sleepiness out of them. They focused and then predictably widened in shock. The boy backed off to the headboard of the bed, knees coming up to his chest to build a wall between him and the older male. He tried to glare but it was a hopeless case. Akefia chuckled at him and stood straight again. "Good morning, little prince. We will leave in brief. So get up and get dressed."

The boy blinked in confusion. "Leave? Where to?"

"To the proof that you are the son of Khalid." Namu frowned at the words. He still had not accepted this but the mention of this so-called 'proof' had made him curios once again. He did not admit this aloud but he could not wait to see how the Thief King was going to prove this to him. The thief told him to leave the jewelery behind - but he kept his beloved anklets anyway - gave him a pair of soft shoes and a long, dark violet cloak. Once fully prepared, Akefia led the little noble to the entrance of the village, if one could call it that, there were no gates after all, just the barrier. Other villagers were already waiting there with their horses and luggage. Namu recognized three of the approximately twenty people standing there. One of them was a tall, bald man - Rishid. The second one was a frail girl with white hair, pale skin and sky blue eyes - Kisara. And the third one was a young man with brown hair and golden eyes - Minkabh. The others were all men, Kisara being the only female among them. She greeted him with a smile as he and the thief by his side came up to them. Without hesitation, Akefia mounted his black steed. With a smirk accompanying his features, he stretched out a hand towards the boy. Namu, who was not comfortable with this at all, grabbed the offered hand despite himself and was pulled up to sit in front of the thief.

"The ride will take the whole day. If you have any objections you should speak now, Majesty." Namu wanted to roll his eyes. As if he had a choice. Instead he remained silent which the thief took as his cue to start their journey.

The journey was long and exhausting for both the horses and their riders. Only few breaks were taken, Akefia seemed rather eager to reach their destination as soon as possible. Namu, who was neither used to the merciless heat nor the long ride, soon felt exhausted and sleepy again. He tried hard not to fall asleep even when the sun was slowly setting again. Soon the Thief King felt an additional weight against his chest and glanced down at the now sleeping boy leaned against him. He allowed himself a smug expression. It gave him satisfaction to know that the boy had given in to sleep and actually trusted the thief that he would not harm him while he was unconscious. The boy had struggled beyond his limits, he knew that. What a shame he had to wake him soon again. Their destination was not far anymore.

The gallopping stopped. Namu stirred at the change in movement and slowly opened his eyes. "We are are here", he heard the voice above him say.

"Where?" the sleepy blond asked, rubbing one of his eyes while sitting up straight. He then took in the sight of their - his jaw dropped, eyes widened - destination. "What...", he said breathlessly, "what is this place?"

Before their eyes one collapsed house after another greeted them. Ruins of a village long forgotten. Ruins of houses people once resided in. A freezing cold breeze blew by, accompanied by a cloud of thick mist. The dead village was surrounded by more of the gray fog but it did not cover the sight from the lifeless ruins. It felt as if the mist was not the only thing that was thick, the air around this place was filled with unspoken tension. The wind that blew here was not pleasent. The sounds it made were like distant screams to the ears. What were once beautiful palm trees were now only shadows of what they had been - trunk broken, leaves torn. What were once houses were now only walls of stone that were threatening to fall apart as well. Even in the bright golden light of the evening sun the village looked drained off all color, as if it had died, too.

Namu gulped heavily. Did they have to go in there? He tilted his head to give the thief a questioning look but he did not seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on the fallen village. The boy had not expected him to speak then. "Welcome to Kul Elna."

Namu felt a shiver run down his spine. This place made him even more uneasy than the knowledge that he was the prisoner of the Thief King. He began to dearly regret that he had wanted to see Akefia's 'proof'. If his proof was connected to this place then he did not feel so excited about knowing anymore. To his misery, they proceeded towards the village. He could feel his stomach sink with dread and his heart rate quicken.

The dead village looked even more spooky close up. Namu's eyes darted left and right with paranoia. He could not help but feel like something would come out of the houses at any moment and attack them. He unconsciously sunk back into the thief's chest, seeking security. 'What are we doing here? There is nobody in this village...'

They stopped in front of a certain building. It was bigger than the others and there was a stone platform in front of it. The noble felt the support behind him disappear as the thief dismounted his steed. Without a warning he grabbed the boy by his waist and helped him down. The others also got off their horses now and waited for further instructions.

"Come with me", the thief said and put a hand on the small back to lead the boy into the direction of the platform. Namu felt his nervousness grow by the second. Upon approaching the platform, something new came into sight. There were stairs located in the middle of the it that led underground. Akefia quickly motioned for the others to stay where they were and proceeded down the stairs with the boy. He could feel the boy's restraint against his palm but pushed him deeper into the darkness. They descended the stairs further down and Namu could hardly see anymore until the light completely drowned in obscurity. He tried to stop walking but the hand on his back was persistent.

"I-I cannot see", the boy stammered. He reached out to the side where he was sure Akefia was walking and grabbed the man's cloak. Once he had found something to hold onto he drew closer to the source. Now it did not matter anymore whether the only person around was a criminal or not, the only thing that mattered was that there was someone he could cling to. He hated the darkness, he always had. He tightened his grip on the fabric, afraid that if he let go the other would vanish and he would be alone in the dark.

"You don't have to be able to see. All you have to do is walk straight ahead", the thief explained. He sounded so nonchalant that it made the boy wonder how one could be so unaffected by this.

Namu did not dare to talk anymore after this and just did what Akefia had told him to do, walk straight ahead. Before long a strange purple light illuminated the darkness. A few steps more and the stairs ended. They now stood in a hall with massive stone walls. In the centre of the room there was another platform and on top was an altar. The light came from the two torches beside the stone altar. The flames flickered purple, Namu had never seen anything like this before. His curiosity told him to check it out but fear won this time and he stayed by the thief's side. Together they went up to the altar. When they were right in front of it Akefia released himself from the boy's grip and took a few steps backward.

"The rest is up to you, Malik."

The boy felt panic rise at those words. "W-what? A-are you going t-to leave me here?" The thief said nothing which only served to make the noble panic even more. "P-please, don't leave me alone here!" he pleaded and grabbed the man's robe again. He did not want to be left, not here, not in this darkness, not alone. Namu had hoped to see the almost familiar smug expression but all he saw was a stoic face.

"I am not going leave you here, but you have to do this alone." With that he placed his hands over the boy's and removed them. "Go to the altar. The proof you wanted will come to you by itself. I will be waiting outside for you."

When the boy saw that the thief was about to go, he shouted after him. "Please! Don't go!" But he did not listen to him and left and Namu was all alone. Or was he not? He reluctantly turned back to the altar. He was scared but if he did what he had been told he could leave again. With that in mind, Namu approached the altar with hesitant steps, anklets jingling as he did so, and reflexively knelt down on his right knee before it. He had been taught that in a temple one had to kneel like this to show one's respect.

Nothing had happened so far although Akefia had told him that his proof would show itself to him. Maybe he had to pray? He was about to try it out when suddenly a harsh breeze blew by. It made the purple flames flicker and his cloak float. Suddenly the wind became stronger and he had to go down on both knees to keep his balance. 'What is going on?' he wondered as he screw his eyes shut to prevent things from invading them. Suddenly all the wind was gone and everything was the same as before. The flames had not even been extinguished. Hesitantly he looked up again.

"Ah!" he yelped and flew back onto his backside. In front of him was a strangely shaped concentration of mist that was slowly forming into something. Namu watched in fear as the upper part of the mist turned into a the shape of a human face. The rest transformed into a whole human body and now it was no longer only mist. It had even gained color. Floating in the air stood a person with unruly, light blond hair that looked a lot like his own, only this person had a beard of the same color. Deep amethyst, kohl-rimmed eyes gazed down at the cowering boy. A long, crimson cloak floated behind his proud back.

Namu could do nothing, nothing but stare, he could not even think. All he could do was stare, wide-eyed. He did not even realize he was trembling with fear. At some point his mind started working again and he could think, even if it was not much. 'Is that… is that a ghost? It cannot be anything else', he decided when he noticed how he could see the stony wall behind the man although he was looking right at him. This new knowledge made him all the more nervous but he pulled himself together.

"W-who are you?" he asked with as much confidence as he could muster, which was barely enough to speak to the spirit. He did not answer and for a moment Namu thought the spirit could not hear him but then he saw the smile. The smile on the spirit's face.

"I knew it…", he said in a low, raspy voice. For a moment the boy stopped shaking, maybe even ceased breathing. Where had he heard that voice before? "I just knew you were still alive", the spirit continued. 'Still alive?' Namu repeated in his head, 'What's the meaning of this?'

The man saw the confusion in the boy's eyes. "When I died and did not meet you here", he gestured towards the altar behind him, "I just knew you were not dead. Although your mother is not here either."

"My…" the little noble gulped thickly, "My mother…?"

The spirit ignored the question and went on. "I believe she did not feel the urge to take revenge when she took her last breath. She must be with the Gods, I'm sure." He paused thoughtfully. Namu took that chance to stand up from the cold floor, still keeping his distance from the man. "It must have taken him a while to find you…", he mused. The pensive expression was forgotten and replaced with the smile from before. "You have grown a lot, Malik."

There. That name. Everyone seemed to recognize him by it. No one thought of him as Prince Namu. But how should a ghost know anyway? Namu had been thinking that they just mistook him for someone else but he was beginning to doubt his own conviction. He had to know. Had to know who Malik was. And he had to start with this man. Who this man was that knew this Malik. He had to know.

When he met the other's eyes this time, there was no fear, only determination. His back was straight as was his gaze fixed upon the spirit's equally violet eyes. He spoke with a clear and steady voice, not trembling once, no doubt audible or visible anymore. "Who are you?"

The smile faded instantly, instead the old spirit frowned. He seemed to be contemplating what the best way to answer was. He closed his eyes which made Namu wonder whether he had angered him but then the man looked at him again.

"I should have known you would not remember. Although I was sure that in that case Akefia would have told you by now." The boy did not understand what was going on. What did Akefia have to do with this? Did he and the spirit know each other? That was not even unlikely since it had been the thief who led him down here. The pieces were slowly putting themselves together.

"Malik", the deep voice said, "My name is Khalid. But I was also known as the King of Thieves."

Lavender eyes widened. 'Of course… _the proof_.'

"I am your father."

* * *

><p>The Thief King ascended the stairs that led him back to the surface. He was greeted by his people with their horses and, behind them, the setting sun. He knew that they would have to wait a while now. If everything went as planned then 'Namu' would finally accept the truth and not question it any further. He went up to Rishid and leaned against his black stallion.<p>

"How did it go?" the taller male asked, genuinely curios.

"I left him to himself before anything happened. He almost started crying on me." Akefia heard a chuckle from beside him and cast the other male a bored look.

"He is only a child. It is normal for him to react this way. And did you yourself not say that the palace probably never let him out and spoiled him? In that case he naturally is scared."

The thief's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't you lecture me about children. I know very well how to treat them. If the palace spoiled him so much then he will have to learn the hard way what life really is like. Besides…" He turned away from Rishid and towards the orange and gold painted horizon. "This is something he has to do alone. I have no place in this." Rishid could not help but think the thief's words held some aspiration. He mentally shook his head. No. Such thoughts were trivial. But the way Akefia was glaring at the horizon gave him a bad feeling.

"Is something wro-?" he tried to ask but was interrupted.

"Shh!" Akefia put a finger to his lips and continued staring at seemingly nothing at all. Rishid narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the noises surrounding them. He heard nothing.

"What is it? I don't hear anything", he stated. Everyone around them had gone silent to hear for themselves but no one could hear a thing. Nothing except for the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves of withered palm trees. Akefia's eyes searched the place carefully, scanning the whole area, the houses and even the rocks.

"I was sure I heard something", he muttered.

"Maybe it was just your imagination. Kul Elna does that to you when you spend too much time here", Minkabh said from the side and went back to stroking his horse's head.

"No. I don't imagine things", he said and scanned his surroundings once more. "There definitely was something. We are not alone here…" Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw something glint between the rocks.

"Everyone! Take cover!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Fortunately, his people had learned not to question such orders and did as they were told. Akefia managed to grab Rishid's head and made him duck just in time to prevent an arrow from boring through his skull. A shower of arrows and spears came flying at them from the rocks but thanks to Akefia's warning they missed their aims. When the rain of weapons ceased, the Thief King was the first to act. He did not waste any time in pulling his sword out of its sheath and sprinted towards the rocks were he could see men standing and preparing for their next attack.

When another attack of arrows came, Akefia hid behind the remainders of a house and barked orders at the others.

"Kisara, form a barrier! Rishid, you back me up! The rest, attack from behind the barrier!" Rishid was quick to join the Thief King behind a wall close to him, armed with his own weapons.

The pale girl closed her eyes, chanting a spell. Her hair began to fly around her in waving motions and her body was bathed in a bright blue glow. Slowly but surely, a blue shining, transparent barrier was built around the rest of the group. She hoped that her energy would be enough to last throughout the battle or else the barrier would crumble.

Meanwhile, Akefia and Rishid had climbed the rocks which did not go unnoticed by the soldiers. Four of them turned around with swords and spears in their hands. They immediately came at them with battle cries. Akefia dodged the first attack that came with a spear and kicked the weapon out of the soldier's grasp which landed a few feet away, stuck in the ground. He then took his chance when the man was distracted that very moment and attacked his chest, slicing it open in one swift cut. The man screamed in pain and fell to the ground, clutching at his fresh wound. Akefia did not even have time to look at him when the next soldier attacked. This time it was a swordsman. Akefia had just enough time to repel the coming attack with the blade of his own sword. The metal made screeching sounds as the two blades collided. The thief took a step back to keep his balance and pushed the soldier back with as much force as he could muster. The man stumbled backwards and Akefia lost no time and attacked him. Unfortunately, the man was fast enough to prevent the blade from cutting his chest as well. Instead his shoulder was sliced open. The pain hit him with so much force that he reflexively let go of his weapon. Big mistake. Within the blink of an eye Akefia had drawn back his sword to forcefully cut through the man's throat, successfully severing the head from its body. Only seconds after the head had hit the ground, the body too fell lifelessly to lie beside it. The Thief King grinned in satisfaction at the blood bath and licked a trail of blood from his blade. If anyone ever asked him what he thought victory tasted like, he would certainly reply 'Like iron'.

Rishid had as little trouble fighting them off as his leader. Just when Akefia turned around he let go of the bleeding skull of a lifeless soldier. He nodded at his superior who smirked and turned to the remaining enemies.

Kisara was slowly growing tired. With every attack that hit the barrier she lost more and more energy. The enemy seemed to have figured out that the more force they put into their attacks the more effective it was. They shot their arrows all at once which occassionally made the barrier crack but Kisara fed those areas with extra energy to heal them and stabilize the barrier. She was panting softly by now, sweat forming on her forehead. "I hope they are finished soon…", she whispered to herself.

Minkabh, one of those who were shooting arrows back at the soldiers from behind the barrier, stopped his actions for a moment to glance at the white haired girl beside him. She would not be able to keep this up any longer. This battle had to end soon or else they might loose their defense. He looked back up at the rocks where his leader and his right-hand man were fighting some of the men. They had taken care of four by now but the men were too many for them to handle all by themselves. There were at least fifteen left. Even if they were able to fight all of them – his thougths went back to Kisara – the barrier might have crumbled until then. They did not have the time for games now.

"Sefu!" he called to a man behind him.

The man, Sefu, turned to him. A man in his late twenties with skin darker than the others. With his bow drawn, only waiting to shoot at the enemy, his olive colored eyes looked into golden ones expectantly. "What is it?"

"Let's go and help them up there. Akefia seems to be enjoying this but Kisara is at her limit", he called to the other male who finally shot the arrow at his enemies and approached Minkabh. On his way to the younger man he picked up a spear.

"Alright then." With that they sprinted towards the rocks. Fortunately, the enemy was too distracted by Akefia and Rishid so only few even noticed them. They were able to dodge the few arrows and were soon behind their allies to back them up.

The white haired thief turned his head to look at the newcomers and pulled his sword out of a soldier's heavily bleeding torso. "What are _you _doing here? Get back behind the barrier", he growled.

"Akefia, we have no time for this!" Minkabh began and took a step closer towards his leader. "Kisara won't be able to uphold the barrier for much longer. She is already at her limit." He was practically begging Akefia to stop playing his games. But the man just eyed him with an uninterested expression, not even bothering to give him a reply as he let his index finger wander the blood stained blade of his sword. "Don't you understand the seriousness of the situation? This is not a raid we have prepared for. We could actually die!" And the next thing he knew was that the bloody blade Akefia had previously been drawing circles on, was now pressed against his own throat with the other's face dangerously close. Stormy gray eyes glared at him.

"Don't you dare speak in that tone to me ever again", he said in a low, threatening voice. Unable to do anything else, Minkabh nodded as much as he could without cutting himself with the sword against his skin. Akefia released him by harshly pushing him back and then turned back to the remaining docen of soldiers. "So, who wants to die next?"

* * *

><p>He should have seen this coming, Namu told himself. That this man, this spirit, Akefia had led him to was in fact Khalid, the former Thief King.<p>

His father.

He looked so much like himself. The hair, the eyes – they even had the same kohl markings under them. They looked almost the same. The only differences was the age and their postures. While the former Thief King held himself tall and proud even in death, the boy was but a scared, little child that wanted to leave this scary place. It made so much sense and none at all. Instead of finally understanding everything, things kept confusing him more and more. He could not deny that the possibility that this man was his real father was incredibly high. But what about his other family? Had it all been a lie? Had they known from the beginning? It all led to one question he needed the answer to and maybe now was his only chance to finally discover the truth.

"What happened?" he asked, "If you are my father, then why did I not grow up with these people? Why did I grow up in the palace and not in that village?" His violet eyes sunk to the floor between his small feet. "Why…?"

'So this is where he has been...' "Malik…" the man sighed and approached the boy carefully. He did not back off this time. For a reason he did not understand he did not feel threatened by this creature. He was too confused to be scared. All he wished was for this confusion to end. He wanted to know the truth about himself, his very own identity. If he could not even be sure about who he was, then how could he be sure about anything at all? Who was his family? The Pharaoh and the prince? Or this see-through reflection of what used to be a man of blood and flesh? He shook his head.

"I don't understand anything anymore. One day I am in the palace and believe I am of royal blood and the next day I am taken away and told that everything I used to believe was a lie." Namu – or was it Malik? – tried hard to swallow the pile that had formed in his throat. His vision started to become blurry. "I", he said in a choked voice, "I don't even know who I am. I cannot tell what is truth and what is lie. I just… I just want to understand. I want to know what's true. Is that too much to ask for?" He shook his head again, more frantically than before also to get rid of the tears he refused to cry. He shut his eyes tightly. If only he could wake up in the palace again and say all of this had been but a nightmare. Then he would not have to doubt himself or his beliefs. He could play with Atemu, his brother, hug Priestess Ishizu who was like a big sister to him, and he could call the Pharaoh 'father' without thinking twice. If only he could wake up now.

His shoulders were shaking with silent sobs and Khalid noticed this. He decreased the distance with more steps until he was right in front of his son. A hand came to a shaking shoulder but went right through it. Khalid felt a wave of sadness wash over him as it did so. The fact that he could not properly comfort his son when he was in pain hurt him as much as watching him break. "Malik. Look at me." The boy wiped his face and did as he was told, the vulnerable expression still present. "Malik… my son, the truth is right before your eyes. All you have to do is open them and take a look."

"What do you mean?" He wiped at his eyes once more. "I am looking but I don't see it."

The man shook his head and smiled. "Don't see with your eyes." He said and put his index finger to the center of the boy's chest but he could not feel it. "See with your heart."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You have to be honest now." The boy nodded reluctantly before the other continued. "What do you think is true? The palace or this?"

"The…", he had meant to say 'the palace' without thinking but stopped himself. This was not what he truly felt. He had doubts and could not genuinely answer that he blindly trusted the palace like he had before.

"But before you decide", the spirit interrupted and made the boy look up. "I will tell you about everything. About what happened." Namu's eyes lit up. This was the moment he had been waiting for. "These ruins are the remainders of what was once a village named Kul Elna. I started to live here when I was still young. However, the village was very poor and most of the villagers were criminals. That is why I became a thief myself. All of us stole."

Namu listened attentively as the story, the key to his truth, unfolded itself. "One day I went on a raid with some of my companions and my pregnant wife. On our way back, she bore me a son. That child was you, Malik", he said and pointed at the boy.

'Me…' he repeated in his mind. It was strange to hear about how he was born but gave him a warm feeling at the same time. Maybe it was the knowledge that he belonged somewhere that made him feel so.

"But when we returned… the whole village had been burnt down. Guards from the palace had destroyed the village and killed all people in the name of the Pharaoh Aknamkanon."

The boy stared at him with disbelieving eyes. Was it true? Had the Pharaoh really done something so horrible? He, the one he called 'father'? Namu was suddenly aware of the fog around them that had become very thick, much like before when Khalid had appeared out of the mist. He watched it warily and was taken aback when it, too, began to form bodies all around them. He yelped and took a step back. However, behind him was just as much mist and there was nowhere he could hide. "Calm down. They cannot hurt you." The reassuring words of the spirit did not help for when the mist formed bodies they were no normal humans. The spirits around them were hardly identifiable as real people. Most of them had burnt skin, gashes and cuts and some did not have all of their limbs. Frightened, lavender eyes observed the horrible sight. He watched a spirit enveloped in flames, screaming and writhing around. It was as if the scene when Kul Elna had been attacked and burnt down was replaying itself before his horrified, young eyes. He heard another ear-piercing scream and found a woman with an infant wrapped in her arms cowering on the floor beside the altar. Out of a cloud of mist came a sword that was thrusted into her chest through the wailing baby's fragile body.

Namu put a hand over his mouth to keep his own screams inside. His eyes watered once more and he felt nauseous. He looked away from the dying mother and child but was face to face with another horrible scene. There was an elderly man trying to protect his wife but they were also slaughtered by spears and swords. Their bodies fell limply to the ground where they were left to bleed to death in a crimson puddle of their own blood. Wherever he looked, there was destruction, murder and pain everywhere. The large hall had completely turned into the scene of the Kul Elna massacre now, he could tell from the burning buildings made of mist, the smoke, the corpses, the blood.

He could take this no longer. The boy fell to his knees, eyes closed and ears covered to block out the screams but he still heard them. "Make it stop", he pleaded.

Above all the screams he barely realized that the Thief King had continued his story. "Only one survived", he said and the boy uncovered his ears again. "And that one was a little boy. I found him completely disturbed. I and the others I had taken on the raid with me took care of him. He did not speak for a whole month but when he did he told us everything that had happened. That was when I swore to take revenge on the Pharaoh. I started by robbing tombs and before long I was known throughout the whole kingdom as Thief King Khalid. Nobody knew that I had a son because I taught the boy we had taken in everything I knew. I wanted him to protect you."

"That boy…", Namu said but did not dare to voice his thoughts. A boy that protected him? A flash of white came into his mind, behind it were stormy gray orbs. Could it be?

"Do you know who that boy was, my son?" his father urged and the boy found the name rolling off his tongue without him realizing that it had been there.

"Akefia", he said as if not believing what he just said. The nod he received, however, confirmed that it was the truth. "Then… he did not kidnap me to harm me… but to protect me", he was whispering to himself. "But why did the Pharaoh take me in? Why did they not… kill me?"

"The day your mother was killed was the day you disappeared. Akefia came back and said that he had not been able to protect you. I assumed he thought you were dead." The man shook his head. "I don't know. This is something you will have to ask him." The boy nodded in agreement and looked thoughtfully to the floor. He then realized that the spirits had taken shape of floating clouds of mist with pained expressions instead of their human-looking forms. It relieved him to know he was no longer surrounded by the massacre scene.

He still had to decide. Should he trust this man, this spirit, who claimed to be his father? Or should he be loyal to the palace? The palace, the place that was responsible for those pained expressions and screams. He could hear them whisper, their voices were clear and so was the truth now. This pain was real and it had been inflicted by the palace, no, by the Pharaoh. This was neither an act nor a lie, he could feel it. Evidence was all around him. Those spirits were evidence, these ruins and so was the person waiting outside for him. Akefia was the only living proof that this massacre had indeed taken place.

Namu's – no, Malik's eyes found his father's equally violet ones. He looked at him with determination. There was no going back now. "I have decided… father", he added with slight hesitation. But his father understood that it had only been because he was not used to it. The little familiar gesture made him smile.

"I am proud of you, my son. You have grown so much", he praised the blond boy who nodded gratefully. The boy advanced on him and held a hand up as if to touch him but he knew he was not able to.

"I-", he started but was interrupted by a rumbling sound. The earth was shaking. Sand came gushing through the gaps between the stones forming the ceiling. When a few grains of sand hit his face he looked up. "What is happening?"

He heard his father growl. "It's coming from outside. Something must be happening on the surface."

Malik's head whipped back to look at his father. "What? Does that mean someone is attacking us?" Had the guards found him? That would mean he could go home-

No. He shook his head. That place was not his home anymore and he would not go back. The palace was responsible for all the suffering and pain this village had to go through. He would not beg them to take him home. "I need to help them!" he exclaimed and took off for the stairs.

"Wait!" his father yelled after him and tried to grab his wrist only to be reminded that he could not touch the boy.

Malik looked over his shoulder. "I will come back!" and with that he left the purple-lighted room and ran up the steep stairs that would lead him back to the surface.

* * *

><p>There was still a docen of soldiers left. A handful of them was busy shooting arrows at the slowly crumbling barrier. The rest was fighting against the Thief King and his men. While fighting one of them, Akefia took a step back and bumped into Minkabh. "You're in the way", he growled. The other male only returned the gesture and pushed a guard off of him. "What's wrong with you? Weren't you the one bragging about his new spell?" the Thief King sneered.<p>

"That might be", he responded and blocked the next flourish that came from the soldier he had pushed away. He winced at its strength and took another step backwards only to find that he was back to back with his leader now. "But that spell requires some time and these guys aren't exactly willing to grant me that." He then kicked the guard in the chest and took his chance to put some distance between him and the other male.

"You think?" Akefia said ironically and disarmed the man he was fighting in one swift motion. He threw the guard's spear a few feet behind him and took a hold of the man's throat, squeezing his windpipe shut. The man began to writhe and he clutched the hand around his neck and pulled at it, to no avail. Akefia's grip was strong even with only one hand and it remained iron until the man no longer moved. He then grabbed one of the man's limp legs and threw the body at the other soldiers that were about to attack him, successfully distracting them for a moment. He hungrily licked the sharp edge of his blade and approached the struggling bunch of men. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a voice called out to him.

"Akefia!" Not just 'a voice', it was _his _angelic voice. He turned around sharply to its source, surprised to see the blond boy come running his way. He could not see the soldiers on the cliff from his spot on the ground.

"Don't come closer!" Akefia shouted back at him. Unfortunately, the soldiers had noticed the boy. Malik was the only distant target that was not behind the barrier and with that easy prey. The boy came to a halt at the harsh command and he looked up with confused, innocent eyes.

"But..."

"Get away from there!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and sprinted as fast as humanly possible to the boy. Malik stood still and finally realized the situation he was in. Akefia jumped down the rocks on which he located soldiers of the Pharaoh. And two of them were drawing their bows. Their target was undeniably... him. Everything happened so fast that Malik could hardly comprehend it even after it had happened. First there were those guards who shot their arrows straight at him - another guard shouted at them, something about 'Stop!' and 'He is not-!' but he hardly heard it - and in the next moment he felt himself being embraced and pressed to the body of another person. He was safely buried into the torso of this other person who blocked most of his view. He heard the ear-shattering cry of something that could not possibly be human, not even an animal. The cry made the earth beneath them tremble. When it ceased he looked up.

"A... Akefia...", he said as he tried to look at the stormy eyes that were hidden behind a curtain of wild hair. And then he saw _it._ A gasp was caught in his throat at the stunning sight. Above both of them was a giant creature towering. It was nothing like he had ever seen before. It had the torso of a human, had a head and arms but from behind its back he could see four feathered wings spread out. The creature was colorless, its entire body painted in a depressing shade of stony gray. And then he discovered its lower body which, to the boy's horror, consisted of huge snake that was hissing furiously at their enemies.

Malik could no longer hold back a whimper and buried his face in the man's arms as he screw his eyes shut. The grip around him tightened a bit but for once he welcomed it whole-heartedly.

In the background all the others were astounded but also frightened by the monster that had appeared. All of them except for Rishid who watched the scene with indifferent eyes.

The thief put a hand on the boy's blond head to prevent him from looking up. He should not watch this. His allied monster, his ka, got to work and erased the remainders of the Pharaoh's troop. As screams filled the air, he could feel the boy tense up. His hand began to soothingly stroke the soft hair as he hushed him, telling him not to listen. And within the next few minutes, everything around them fell silent but Malik was too scared to look around. He could imagine that corpses were littered all over the place. The comforting caressing stopped and Akefia crouched down to whisper in the boy's ear "It's over now." Malik nodded in return but still did not dare to raise his head.

The ka faded into a shadow and went back to rest inside the thief's soul. Behind him Kisara let the barrier go down and she sunk to her knees panting heavily. The rest of the group slowly approached their leader but kept a safe distance from him now that they had seen his powerful ka. If they had not had respect for him before then they did now. Rishid came to stand beside him, silently questioning him with his eyes. Akefia straightened up and reluctantly released the boy who was still clinging to him as if he was a lifeline. He bent down to look straight into the face of the terrified child. He graced the boy with his trademark smirk. "Now, now. Is this really what a proud prince should look like? Hardly."

Malik, too, straightened his back at that. He needed to tell the thief something. "Akefia, I..." The man waited patiently as the boy struggled to find the right words. They had all time in the world now. "I wanted to tell you... I... I met my... father and he told me that..."

The smirk never faltered, not even for a second. Akefia knew exactly what this was about. "And now you believe me", he finished for the boy.

Malik nodded. "Yes..."

"Good", the Thief King said and turned to the others, a hand resting on the boy's shoulder. "Everyone, please meet the Prince of Thieves."

At first everyone looked bewildered by that announcement but they seemed to understand. Kisara smiled happily at the little prince and was the first to kneel down before him. Soon everyone else followed suit, leaving only Akefia to stand beside him while everybody else was bowing before him. Malik grinned shily at the crowd and awkwardly scratched his cheek. This was something he had not expected to happen. And then Akefia stepped right in front of him. He also bent down on his right knee to show his respect. It gave the boy an unfamiliar feeling of power to see the mighty Thief King lower his proud head for him. The thief took both of the boy's hands in his own and placed his forehead on them, whispering,

"Welcome home, Malik."

For the first time since Kul Elna had been destroyed it was graced with a warm atmosphere. The beams of Ra finally reached the place, bathing the ruins in a bright golden light. Everything glowed in the light of hope. A comfortingly light breeze swept over the bowed heads. When it reached the new prince it made his platinum hair wave gently. It was as if the Gods were smiling down at them and let out content sighs.

Malik smiled in return at the thief before him. A true smile. 'Yes... I am finally home.'

* * *

><p>AN: Questions first:

1) Do I need to raise the rating M because of this chapter? There is going to be more of the sort so I'm not quite sure...

2) Would you like some references (drawings) of, at least, the OCs? I'm willing to make those~

3) (this is embarrassing...) I was wondering whether I should write *cough* smut in this fanfic. (Of course not with 12-year-old Malik!) At the beginning I wanted to but now I'm afraid it would destroy the story. What do you think?

4) I was also wondering about a second category. Hmm... Adventure? Suspense? Mystery (rather not right?)

Finally! I can write 'Malik' instead of 'Namu'. And no, Malik doesn't remember anything yet. He only remembers what I wrote here (that's almost nothing). And I'm sorry if the battle scene was bad, I'm not good at writing those. Anyway, this was only the beginning, we're going to have more fights, more fluffy moments and more unimportant OCs. This story is not very funny and more serious as you might have noticed. I hope you don't mind the lack of humor.

Other than that, did you like it somehow? It was askward I know, but I liked how it ended~ Hope to see you in chapter 4! Thanks for reading.


	4. Tonight

A/N: Okay guys, first of all thanks a lot for answering my questions. The rating will remain T for now, the references are coming one by one (I decided to draw Malik and the rest as well. The links will be in my profile) and about the smut: I'll think about it and maybe I'll write it since nobody seems to mind. And I'll also wait with the category, let's see how it all develops.

Thanks to

**Marikshipper, Leviathan of the Sea **(Don't be sorry if I do something wrong. It's much appreciated)**, Kyuubi's Kit 2, Anamique4 **(Anytime! Thanks for your beautiful reviews~)**, Zukofan2005 **(Yes, I meant yaoi)**, Kerashi-chan **(I've never read about a nice father for Malik ever before either. Thought the poor boy could have one for a change~)**, Jaims17 **(I agree, there's not enough citronshipping and it's a shame that most long stories have been abandoned. I will do my best so this won't happen to my story as well! And I'm a big angst fan myself, so you can expect some~)

Just thank you so much, I do appreciate all the love! Admittedly, this chapter isn't my favorite although it's full of citronshipping from head to toe (you better not get used to this). Have any of you ever watched a Bollywood movie? If yes, then this might remind you of one. Musical-ness ahead! (You have been warned)

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Tonight

The group had made it back home, to Djane, at long last. Everyone was exhausted since it had not only been the journey but also a heated battle with the Pharaoh's guards. Malik was especially tired. So many things had happened in the past few days that also his small body was suffering from all the stress. He felt as if his whole being was aching but he was guessing that this came with being unused to riding for so long without taking regular breaks. He wondered how the others were able to cope with all this. Their stamina was certainly admirable. After all they rode so much and even had to fight. Malik had even fallen asleep while they had been riding but the others had no possibility to do that. Thinking about it like that, Malik felt even more like a burden now. Before, he would not have cared so much. He would have told himself that it was their own fault for kidnapping him, but now that he knew the truth, things were different. He felt as if he had some sort of responsibility now. He was their prince after all. He had always been the prince in one way or another but he had been kept inside the palace walls all his life, hence he never realized how his people could suffer for him. His chest felt heavy now, as if something was pulling him down.

He looked up as he heard the rustling of fabric. Akefia was stripping himself off his robes. He carelessly let them drop to the carpeted floor, feeling as much at home as one could in their own house. Malik was sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched the other take off his cloak. Unconsciously, he let his eyes wander over the flawless, tanned skin under which hard muscles rippled with every movement. He was completely unharmed although he had fought against a whole troop. But even Malik could see how worn out the Thief King was. It was no wonder, so it did not surprise the boy at all. If anything, he only felt more guilty. He began to fiddle with one of his sleeves and shifted his gaze to an uninteresting spot on the floor. "I... I am sorry", he whispered, not managing to say it loudly but Akefia heard it anyway.

The Thief King abruptly stopped what he was doing and slowly turned his head to study the boy. Malik was not looking at him, he could not bring himself to when he felt so guilty. "For what?" the thief asked carefully and fully turned around to give the little prince his undivided attention.

"For..." The boy let his head hang low as he muttered, "...for being such a burden."

The older male shook his head slightly and went to kneel in front of the boy. He waited for the child to raise his head and look at him but he kept staring at his lap. "Malik, look at me." But the boy gave no response. The thief sighed and lifted the boy's chin with one strong hand to create eye contact. That had been no request but an order. Akefia immediately noticed how glassy those lavender eyes were and how pained they looked. The fingers that had previously been occupied by the boy's chin slowly went up to cup his cheek.

"You are not a burden", he assured the young boy. "Why would you think that?"

"But", Malik protested and turned his head to escape the thief's affectionate gesture, "everyone... everyone was put in danger because of me. And some also got hurt and they had to endure so much. And if it wasn't for me-"

"Then we wouldn't have had to go through all of this. That's true", Akefia admitted and Malik lowered his head again. So he had been right and not even Akefia denied it. "However", the thief continued, "everyone did what they did of their own free will. All of us voluntarily did this because it was for you."

Malik was silent after that. The unevitable question came to his mind - Why? He had been told that Akefia was supposed to protect him but why did everyone else risk their lives for him? He could not understand why. As he could not understand many other things he had discovered with his capture. "Why...?" he thought aloud. "Why are you doing this for me?" He lifted his head again. He tried to find the answer in the thief's eyes but they did not reveal a single emotion like everyone else's eyes did. He could not read those eyes. Were they unreadable? Or was it his own eyes that were not able to read?

He heaved a shaky sigh. "Why would you put your life on the line to save me? I am of no use to you. All I do is breathe your air."

But the Thief King shook his head once more. "You are wrong. Have you forgotten who you are?"

"What kind of question is that?" Malik muttered emotionlessly. "I have just found out who I am. How could I forget it so fast?"

"Then you also realize that you are destined to become the next Thief King." Akefia chuckled amusedly. "But don't think that just because you are Khalid's heir, I will make it easy for you."

The little blond blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?" He had a bad feeling that he would not like what it meant.

"That, little prince, means that you will have to train hard to gain my title. You did not really believe that I would give it to you so easily, did you?"

"Actually..." Malik shifted uneasily. "I have not even thought about this yet."

The thief chuckled again. "You must have a lot on your mind if you haven't even thought about it yet." Malik scratch his cheek sheepishly. Indeed, how came he had not thought about something so important yet? "But I guess it is only understandable. The previous days have been full of events for you. Maybe it is better if you rest for now." Akefia was about to stand up but felt his wrist being capture.

"Wait", the boy pleaded but looked down at the carpeted floor, flustered. "I am not tired", he lied. For once he really cared about being strong for someone else. In this case he denied his exhaustion because he felt guilty. Guilty because everyone had gone through so much for him while all he had done was nothing at all. Therefore he wanted to be stronger so Akefia would not have to worry about his well-being. Worry? Thinking that the thief would worry about him made him feel even more guilty. The thought alone seemed conceited. Whatever the case was, pondering that could wait for later. "We can discuss this now... b-but only if you wish to", he quickly added, for he feared that maybe the thief wanted to leave the subject for another time because he himself was exhausted.

Akefia slowly lowered himself back on his knee again and put a hand over the one that was still on his wrist. Malik tried his best not to look at the other but that only made it easier for the thief to read him. "There is nothing to _discuss_. We will begin your training soon and then I will explain everything to you. Now don't worry about that and rest."

Their eyes met and Akefia graced him with an amused smile. It strangely made the boy's chest feel less heavy. "Tomorrow is the festival. I hope that you will enjoy yourself." The thief then raised the little noble's hand to his face. Malik tensed up at first but quickly relaxed again as Akefia gently kissed the back of his hand. He knew that maybe he should not but he was slowly getting used to the thief's touch. It reminded him of the embraces he occassionally shared with Ishizu. He did not remember a time, though, when anyone had kissed him. And now he was beginning to wonder whether the thief did this out of respect or whether it really was as affectionate as it felt in that moment. In the beginning he had not even given it any thought, it had simply scared him no matter how the thief touched him. In his eyes he had been a dangerous criminal whose intentions were unclear. But the curtain had risen and things were clearer than ever before and as uncertain as if in thick fog at the same time. Now it was different. He did not feel uncomfortable around the thief but it did not feel as familiar as with Ishizu. It did not feel brotherly as it did with Atemu and he was also not a father figure like the Pharaoh had been. He could not put his finger on it. Somehow it felt as if he had known Akefia for forever. Of course, he had known him before his time in the palace. But since he had lost those memories, the thief had become a stranger to him and it should be as if he had never met him before. But it was different. It was something inbetween 'never met before' and 'known for forever'. He could not find the right category for him and that made him feel as if he was lost. But knowing that this person kissing his hand could not be a complete stranger gave him reassurance. It was not only the knowledge, though. He could feel it somewhere in the depths of his heart.

Akefia released the boy's hand again and straightened up. This time he was not held back. "Sleep well", he said as he exited the room.

"You too", Malik murmured in return but the thief had already left and probably not heard a word.

_"'Kefi..."_

Ever since he had met the man, he had had this one name on his mind. For some reason he felt the need to voice it now for the first time.

"...'Kefi..." It sounded so strangely familiar coming from his own mouth even though he had never said that name before. After hearing himself say it, it took him only a few brief moments to realize just whose name that was. It was an abbreviation of the name 'Akefia'. The boy let a hand run through his silky blond hair. He was getting this foreign feeling of knowing and not knowing again.

"Did I... use to call him that?"

Right behind the crimson curtain stood the man he had unintentionally addressed. For once, those stormy eyes were not the calm storm they usually reflected. His eyes were wide and he stood frozen with his back facing the entrance of his house.

'Malik. He just...' His thoughts were whirling around in his head. His mind a complicated mess. The Thief King was at a loss for words. Fortunately he did not require his tongue then. He had thought he would never hear that name ever again. The nickname a little boy had given him. The little boy that had died, come back from the dead and forgotten him. The chance that he would ever hear him say it again had been so small. Yet he had said it.

The shocked expression changed drastically. A wide grin was placed onto the Thief King's face. It was not sinister, mischievous or smug. It was one of excitement. "He remembers...", he whispered to himself.

* * *

><p><em>"'Kefi? What are those?" a high-pitched voice asked from beside the white haired boy. Akefia ceased eating his apple for a moment to look at the smaller boy sitting by his side. The child with platinum blond hair and pure, lavender eyes was pointing one small index finger at the dark night sky. Akefia followed his finger and then looked back at Malik.<em>

_"Do you mean the sky?" he offered but the boy shook his head frantically and pointed his finger with more eagerness at the obscure sky._

_"No", he said, "Those white dots there."_

_"The stars?" And this time the boy nodded excitedly._

_"Yes, yes! What are those?" Malik finally lowered his arm and averted all his attention to Akefia in hope to receive an answer. The older boy scratched the back of his white head as he struggled to find a fitting explanation._

_"Well... I don't know that myself", he admitted and in an instant the excitement was wiped out of the child's face. Regretting his answer, Akefia quickly went on, "But... my mother always sent her prayers to them when my father went on a raid or journey."_

_That sparked Malik's curiosity and all his attention was on his protector again. "Why?"_

_Akefia shrugged in response. "When I asked her she told me that she hoped it would reached the Gods better this way. She actually only prayed to one certain star though", he explained and looked around in the black sea, searching for a certain star. When he found it he pointed at it. "Do you see the one over there? It is the brightest of them all. My mother said that it is Ra watching over us from above."_

_It was silent for a moment as Akefia lowered his arm again. Malik was staring at the bright star in a fascinated manner. "Does he watch over me, too?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the star._

_"He better do", the older boy joked. "But even if not..." Malik finally managed to tear his eyes away from the beautiful light and shift them to Akefia. His wide, purple eyes blinked innocently as the other boy placed a hand in the center of his chest and grinned at him confidently. "...as long as this heart beats I will protect you with my life."_

_Malik smiled at that. He did not fully understand the meaning of those words but he understood that Akefia would always be there for him if he needed someone. And that made him happy. He scooted closer to his protector and leaned his head on his upper arm. Akefia, surprised by the action, dropped his apple which caught the blond's attention._

_"Your apple fell down", he giggled and the older one felt sheepish. Nevertheless, he put an arm around the small body and pulled the boy closer who immediately cuddled up to him._

_"'Kefi?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"Does he protect you, too?"_

_Akefia was silent for a long moment, mutely wondering. Flashes of the horrible slaughter of two years before came to his mind. The murder, the pain, the blood, the tears. And remembering this was all he needed to know the answer._

_"No."_

_Lavender eyes gazed up at him in question but what he had wanted to ask remained unspoken. He lowered his eyes again and his arms snuck around the taller boy, letting his head rest on the other's chest. "Then I will protect 'Kefi."_

_The white haired boy felt the arms tighten around him protectively, yet they could not hurt him, and Akefia could not surpress the laughter anymore. So he laughed. It sounded ironic to his own ears but reassuring to the ones of the child hugging him who squeazed once more. Akefia put both of his arms around Malik and pulled him in to finally return the embrace. "Thank you, Malik", he whispered into his shoulder._

_"...thank you..."_

* * *

><p>Malik awoke to the feeling of something heavy on him. Reluctantly he cracked one eye open, followed by the other one as soon as the first had adjusted to the light. His blurry vision slowly faded back to its normal self. There was something blocking his view. All Malik could make out was red. He soon realized that the red was someone's hair. Someone who was on top of him. He gasped at the realization and bolted up into a sitting position, throwing the person to the foot of the bed. He pulled the covers, together with his knees, to his chest, instinctively scooting further away from whoever it was. When he felt safe, he took his chance to take a closer look at the person who was now groaning from having hit their head.<p>

The intruder turned out to be a boy, a small child no less. Malik estimated that he was no older than four years. He had short, messy hair of a wine red color of which a bundle of longer strands was bound together at the left side of his head. As the boy looked back up at Malik, he noted that his eyes had a similar color, only they were of a more fiery red than his hair. The strange boy rubbed a spot on his head. He had probably hit it there.

Malik scrambled closer to the intruder, now that he was sure he would not be harmed. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" he asked and reached out to the boy. But the child quickly recovered, did not even begin to cry or whine, and ignored the blond's question completely. He straightened his back and held his head high as if he had not just hurt it a few secons ago.

"Are you the prince?" he asked seriously.

"Y-yes." Malik found that boy to be rather intimidating although he was but a child, a lot younger than he himself even. At that, the boy wasted no time in grabbing the noble's hand and pulling him along as he climbed off the bed.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Malik asked, confused, but let himself be dragged out of bed and out of the house. "Where are we going?" he tried again after receiving no answer only to be ignored once more. Malik decided to give it up and play along for now. It was only a strange child dragging him through the village after all. On their way, they passed by some playing children. At first they gave them strange looks but then they ran off into different directions as if scared. Malik wondered whether it had something to do with him. They stopped in front of a house that looked just like most houses in the village. The redhead entered without hesitating, dragging Malik in as well. From the inside the house looked less lifely than expected. The furniture was plain and the sand and dust on it made it look older than it truly was. He assumed that usually no one lived in this house. Why had the boy brought him here in the first place, he wondered. He looked down at said boy, waiting for an explanation. The child finally let go of the older boy and walked to stand in front of him, red eyes observing him expectantly.

"Bring her back", he ordered.

Malik blinked dumbfoundedly. "Eh?"

"I want you to bring back my mother", the boy repeated.

'His mother? Bring her back?' Malik did not understand any of this. This little boy seemed to have lost his mother and wanted her to be resurrected - by him. But why did the boy believe he could do something like that? As he tried to find an explanation to this strange situation, the boy grew more and more impatient and he crossed his arms over his chest. Malik unconsciously took a step backwards. This kid was serious.

"You said you are the prince!", the redhead exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the other.

"Yes, but... why do you think I could bring back your mother?" Malik asked uncertainly.

"They said that the Thief King had a powerful ka. And if you are his son then you should have a strong ka, too!" the boy explained annoyedly.

"A powerful ka?" Malik thought aloud.

"Yes. Are you deaf?" the boy said annoyedly but Malik ignored the comment. He remembered hearing that word at the palace. Ishizu had explained to him that it reflected a person's soul. The form of its creature as well as its strength depended on the person carrying it. The priests used their ka to protect the Pharaoh, she said, but he had never seen any of them. She explained that they were only used if it was an emergency. Malik concluded that the priests' ka had to be strong if they were used so rarely. But Malik, having a powerful ka? He could not imagine that but what the boy said did sound plausible. If his father's ka had been strong then was his own strong, too? But no matter if it was true or not, he could not help the boy like this. Therefore, he regretfully shook his head.

"I don't know how to do that. I am sorry...", he said and gave the other an apologetic look.

"What?" the boy asked furiously and came a step closer. "But they said that the king's ka was strong! You _must _be able to do it!" he then grabbed Malik's tunic and glared hatefully at him. His hands that were fisted in his shirt began to punch against his chest and Malik flinshed slightly.

"This is unfair!" the boy yelled and proceeded to hit the other's torso. "Someone has to bring her back! Bring her back!"

Malik winced as one blow directly hit his stomach with more force than expected of such a small child. "I'm sorry", he repeated between gritted teeth.

"I don't care! Bring her back!" the boy shouted. Malik could see tears running down his face as he kept pounding. Suddenly both of the boy's hands were caught by larger, stronger hands and he was pulled away from the noble. The captured boy writhed furiously and looked up at the man who was holding him back.

"Let me go, you stupid thief!" he shouted angrily while trying to free himself, feet kicking around wildly.

"How insulting", Akefia said, unimpressed, and squeazed the boy's wrists harder to make him stop struggling. "If you ever lay a finger on the prince again, I will break all of them so you will never be able to touch anything ever again. And now leave." With that the Thief King let go of the boy and harshly pushed him out of the house. The redhead stumbled and almost fell but kept his balance. He turned around once more to glare at Malik one last time and then vanished out of the dead house.

"That was not necessary", Malik said at long last, "he did not hurt me."

Akefia turned to the blond and raised a white eyebrow at him. "And I assume that punch he landed in your stomach did not hurt either."

At that, Malik shifted his eyes towards the floor guiltily. "Who is he?"

"Amun. We found him and his mother a year ago. His mother died here in this house. She had been severely injured. And that brat has been trying to find a way to bring her back ever since. He believes that if he finds someone whose ka is strong enough, it could bring her back", the thief explained.

"And... is that true? Can you resurrect a person with your ka?", the blond asked curiously.

Akefia snorted bitterly. "Nonsense. I don't know who told him that but it's impossible. Ka are no Gods. They can become as strong as one but they will never be able to bring back the dead."

"Oh..." Malik lowered his head in disappointment. At this point, the thief deemed it to be wise to change the subject entirely.

"Anyway, I have been searching for you."

"Why?" the boy asked curiously, having forgotten all about the little redhead's predicament. This small but significant victory was enough for the Thief King to show his trade-mark smirk again.

"Come with me."

* * *

><p>The sound of quick steps echoed throughout the hallways of the Pharaoh's palace. The woman tugged at the long skirt of her night gown to be able to run faster. Her lungs already as if on fire due to the frantic pants but she had no time to worry about herself now. She rounded another corner and exited the palace into one of the backyards where she found a figure standing in the dark of the night. She slowed down a bit but hurriedly went up to the person. The man with long, brown hair had his arm outstretched on which a fully-grown hawk rested. Calmly he turned to look at the other.<p>

"Mahado", Ishizu began but was interrupted.

"I know", the priest simply replied. "I know."

Ishizu bowed her head in a saddened manner. "So my vision was true...", she muttered to herself.

"Unfortunately yes", Mahado confirmed and busied himself with stroking the bird's feathered head. The hawk, appreciating the attention, tilted its head to grant the priest better access. "The whole troop has been killed. We clearly underestimated them."

The priestess began to protest and defend, "But we could not have known that they would be this strong. The men all did their utmost and fought the thieves as best as they could."

"I am not blaming the fallen men, Ishizu", the priest said dryly and ceased carressing the bird. "We should have sent more than one troop. What if this had been our only chance to save Prince Namu?"

The priestess shook her head disagreeingly. "No, I do not think so. From what I have seen he is fine. But we have to find their hideout. And this time we will prepare better for his rescue."

"I disagree. If there is going to be a next time then we will attack with everything we have. We will set a trap that they cannot escape. And if I have to do it myself, then so be it", the priest decided with determination and the hawk flew off of his arm into the darkness.

"Mahado, no", Ishizu commanded in a warning tone, coming a step closer. "You are not going yourself. It is too dangerous."

"I don't care. The prince is out there with these criminals all alone. I cannot possibly stay here and wait, knowing that he is in danger all the time, even as we speak now."

The priestess averted her azure eyes. She understood his feelings just too well. To her the prince was like the younger brother she never had. As an older sibling she could not wait and be unproductive either. She also wished to help the missing prince but knew that as long as the Pharaoh did not give them the permission to go, she would never be able to help. And as it was, priests were not allowed to leave the Pharaoh's side until his death. "Mahado...", she said gently and approached the other priest until she was beside him. Reluctantly, she put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes with sincere concern. "I want to save him, too, but we cannot abandon our duties as priests. So, let us help by making the plan to rescue him."

Mahado thought it over as he gazed into the dark blue sky. He sighed in defeat and smiled at the woman beside him. "Alright", he said, "Let's at least report to the Pharaoh then."

The priestess nodded her head. "Yes, you are right."

* * *

><p>The mighty sun had settled behind the horizon and the small village was once more graced with the pure black of the night sky, only the moon and stars there to illuminate the land. However, tonight was different. Tonight the village's fairground was brightly lit by torches located everywhere and a huge fire in the centre of the square. Tables after tables had been set up, decorated with colorful linen cloths and oil lamps. Various kinds of food had been placed on them - fruits, vegetables and meat, anything an Egyptian could think of. Cloths, carpets and even robes had been used to further decorate the place, hanging from nearby windows, walls and strings. People were chatting idly, enjoying drinking wine - because drinking wine was only ever possible on occassions such as a festival - and dancing. Those with the only musical talent available had begun to play their indtruments, creating music to which the eager villagers could dance. It was a relaxing tune created by soft drumming accompanied with the melody of a harp and an oud.<p>

A melodically singing voice suddenly tore through the air. Everyone ceased their actions, their heads turning towards the source of the voice. The crowd parted to let the person pass them by and stand in the center in front of the blazing fire. The gold bracelets jingled as the man rose his hand dramatically. The flames flickered behind his white head, their light reflected in his stormy gray eyes. The drums beat an excited rhythm as another singing tone errupted his throat, deep and clear. He took a step sideways beginning the dance, his black and golden robe swinging gracefully with his body's every move. His steps and moves seemed to melt together with the steady rhythm of the music as the thief danced. He stayed in one pose for a moment as the music halted with him.

_"Tonight there is a reason for us to celebrate", _he sang in a low baritone and the music went back to its steady rhythm together with his steps.

_"Tonight there is a reason for us to celebrate,_

_because tonight he is joining us."_

Whispering voices from the crowd echoed, wondering 'Who?'. The Thief King grinned and pointed into the direction of the mumbling people.

_"I have seen him,_

_he is like us of flesh and blood._

_I have seen him,_

_his being is as divine as that of a God."_

He took a step backwards, closer to the whipping flames of the grand fire.

_"He has returned for us,_

_awakened from the dead for us,_

_so tonight we shall celebrate him like a God."_

Akefia put a hand on his chest to feel his heart beat as he sang on with a smug grin.

_"Who is he that has found back to us,_

_who is he with the pure heart,_

_who is he that gives us reason to celebrate tonight?_

_Oooh... tonight."_

At that the music became louder and faster and the crowd joined in to dance alongside the Thief King in front of the fire.

_"Tonight there is a reason for us to celebrate,_

_tonight we let the joy take us over,_

_for tonight... we are reunited."_

The music calmed down again and so did the dancers. Akefia went back to a calmer, steady rhythm, a few other men accompanying him.

In the dim light of the few oil lamps, that were set up on the floor of the otherwise dark room, a hand came up to massage oil onto soft, tanned skin. Another pair of hands carried a small gold chain that was placed onto a head of platinum blond hair. The pointy end of a stick dragged perfect, black lines over closed, lavender eyes. A brush painted the back of a small hand with artistic henna patterns. The flames flickered impatiently and finally the last piece, a violet scarf of thin, silky fabric, was loosely put around a slender neck.

The girl holding the brush with the rest of the henna, Kisara, took a step backwards to admire her work. She smiled and breathed a content sigh. "You are ready."

The boy slowly stood up from the seat in which he had spent hours, feeling wobbly on his legs due to not having used them in a while. His dark purple robes swung with him as he took a step towards the white haired girl. He looked up at her expectantly but averted his eyes to the floor in the next moment. He fidgeted with the hem of his black tunic, feeling self-counscious under the eyes of all these women that had prepared him. "How... how do I look?" he asked nervously.

"Like a prince", Kisara answered.

The King of Thieves slowed down his movements as the rhythm changed again. He spread his arms welcomingly as he directed the next tones towards the crowd again.

_"I have seen him,_

_his eyes shine as brightly as the sun._

_I have seen him,_

_his smile will make you forget whatever you have done._

_He leaves everything behind for us,_

_changes the world for us,_

_so tonight we shall celebrate him like a God."_

Suddenly, another voice, softer and more gentle, came from behind all the distracted people. The high notes of a ney went along with it. Once more the crowd parted to give way to the origin of the beautiful tones. A child with gorgeous amethyst eyes and sandy blond hair came into sight. He wore a short, black tunic with a belt of gold. Velvet, dark violet robes that almost reached his ankels hung from his narrow shoulders. His whole body was adorned with gold jewelery - gold chains in his hair, earrings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces. The small body moved towards the Thief King, anklets jingling with every step, making their own music.

_"I have seen you,_

_and you showed me what is real",_

the sweet voice sang as the boy took another step towards the thief who also approached him.

_"...showed you what is real",_

the thief repeated with considerably lower tones, getting closer and closer to the boy who continued to sing.

_"I have seen you,_

_what you felt I can also feel."_

They met in the middle, bodies only inches apart, making the boy having to tilt his head upwards. The thief's hand raised and brushed a strand of blond hair and tugged it behind the prince's ear.

_"so tonight we shall celebrate you like a God."_

Malik cast his hand aside and took several steps away from the Thief King. His feet began to move to the music that had once again picked up the pace.

_"Who are you that has taken me away,_

_who are you that I have known for all my life,_

_who are you that celebrates me tonight?_

_Oooh... tonight."_

Akefia as well as many other people joined the dancing boy, the drums beating wildly to the chorus, anklets jingling along as everyone sang together.

_"Tonight there is a reason for us to celebrate,_

_tonight we let the joy take us over,_

_for tonight..._

_Tonight happiness will win over fear,_

_tonight our hearts beat together,_

_for tonight... we are reunited."_

As the music slowed down, the blond turned around in one swift move to face the man with the white mane. The addicting sound of his sweet singing errupted his throat, making everyone feel like melting away. It made the Thief King sigh contently and for a moment he just closed his eyes, mentally drifting off into a heavenly oblivion. The boy just did not know what he was doing to him only by using his vocals. He reached out one hand towards the thief.

_"I will change back to who I used to be for you,_

_will become stronger with every day for you,_

_so tonight..."_

The boy drifted off but the dancing people in the background finished the line for him.

_"So tonight we shall celebrate you like a God."_

Malik turned his body gracefully and was now back to back with Akefia who did nothing to push the boy away as he quite enjoyed the proximity.

_"Who are you that knows everything about me,_

_who are you that makes me feel so strange?"_

At that the Thief King whirled around to look into the boy's beatiful violet eyes. Quick, trained fingers grabbed his equally violet scarf, pulling it off. Malik reacted automatically by taking the other end of the cloth. Their eyes locked in an unannounced battle.

_"Who are you that enchants me with his smile,_

_who are you that makes this heart go wild,_

_who are you that gives us reason to celebrate tonight?"_

Pulling stronger on his scarf, Malik sang the last part together with the thief drawing him closer by the other end.

_"Oooh... tonight!"_

Akefia let go of the silky cloth as their cue to sing the last chorus.

_"Tonight there is a reason for us to celebrate,_

_tonight we let the joy take us over,_

_for tonight..._

_Tonight happiness will win over fear,_

_tonight our hearts beat together,_

_for tonight... we are reunited!"_

Everyone joined in, singing and dancing, and the whole place was full of people moving to the enchanting rhythm. As a result Akefia and Malik were pushed together rather unintentionally but the thief did not complain and neither did the prince. So they kept dancing. At one point, Malik thought he had stepped on the thief's foot. He looked up with the intention to apologize. But as their eyes met once more, he completely forgot about his plan and all he could do was look at those fascinating eyes. Suddenly the thief bent down and Malik felt his hands on each side of his waist. Before everything could sink in he had already been pulled up, lifted high into the air even above the thief's head. Akefia laughed heartily at him and after a moment of simply staring Malik began to laugh, too. The thief bent down again and repeated the action but put more force into lifting the boy so that for a brief moment he was flying in mid air. The boy was caught again and held on eye level with the thief who was holding him in his strong arms.

_"Tonight...", _Akefia sang in a whisper only for the other to hear.

_"...tonight...", _Malik whispered back and wound his arms around the thief's neck and embraced him.

The villagers kept dancing, oblivious to the two in the middle sharing an affectionate embrace. Oblivious to what was going through their king's head. Akefia appreciated the gesture as much as life itself. Malik had inititated it, he trusted him. Years ago he had finally accepted the fact that he would never be like this with Malik ever again. Yet here they were, standing in a crowded fairground, hugging as if it was the most natural thing to do. It was not but in that very moment, it felt natural to both of them. However, as oblivious as the dancing people were to their hug, as much oblivious were the king and his prince to the pair of eyes watching them.

As the music stopped, people began to clap and cheer. Akefia quickly put the boy in his arms back down and both clapped like the rest of the crowd did. They kept this up until the music started to play again and people went back to dancing, eating, drinking, chatting and enjoying themselves. When everyone was busy once again, Malik hesitantly averted his eyes to his right side where Akefia was standing. He quickly looked away when he met the thief's gaze but knew he should say something. He cleared his throat uneasily, wondering where the awkwardness had so suddenly come from. "How long is this festival going to last?" he finally asked.

The thief clicked his tongue. "Hmm... I would say...", he began and smirked at the boy who was waiting patiently for his answer, "Until nobody can stand anymore."

* * *

><p>With a relieved sigh, the exhausted boy let himself drop onto the welcomingly soft bed. "Oh Gods...", he groaned as he lay with his arms stretched away from his body and his eyes closed.<p>

"Never thought celebrating could be this exhausting, hm?", came the comment from across the room where the Thief King was releasing himself of all heavy jewelery he had on him. The boy nodded his head agreeingly, too tired to do anything else. When Akefia had taken off all jewelery and unnecessary garments, he looked over to a half-asleep Malik.

"Are you planning to sleep like this?" he asked in a mocking tone. Malik would have felt self-conscious if he was not too exhausted to care and therefore he simply nodded his head once more.

Akefia shook his head. "If you were not a child, I would help you take your clothes off", he said with a sly smirk. At that the boy cracked open one eye.

"I am not a child", he protested sleepily, having missed the suggestive part of the comment.

"Of course not", the thief chuckled, watching the boy yawn and close his eyes again. He then went to leave the room, saying 'good night' but the other was already asleep. He exited his house with a content expression but that changed all too quickly. In front of him stood a tall, bald man with a stoic face. Akefia frowned at him.

"What do you want, Rishid?" he asked none too friendly which did not go unnoticed by the other male.

"I want to talk to you", he replied simply. Akefia hesitated for a moment, studying the other, but motioned for him to follow him. Rishid obeyed and they ascended the stairs to the roof where they sat down on a few woven carpets.

"I hope that this is important." The threat in those words was clear even through the contained voice and calm expression. Fortunately, Rishid knew better than to unnecessarily provoke the Thief King and immediately said what he had come for.

"It's about the prince", he said.

"Is it now?", the thief responded uninterestedly, not looking at him as he spoke.

"Yes, it is. But it concerns you, too." The other still refused to show that he was paying attention but Rishid did not mind. "I know about the oath you swore. I know that your duty was to protect him-"

"_Is_", Akefia corrected. "So? You know and now what?"

"Well, like I said, I know that you are supposed to look after him, but I am afraid that what you are doing is beyond your original duties." The moment he said that, a cloud floated in front of the moon, further darkening the place.

"How so?" the thief asked coldly and even Rishid was beginning to feel uneasy.

"You know what I am talking about."

"Enlighten me."

The taller male heaved a sigh, hoping that it did not seem too respectless towards his leader. "You are not only protecting him. You care for him like a parent."

"I still don't see your point."

"My point is that at this rate you might lose sight of your actual duties", Rishid explained as calmly as possible. "You are our leader. And I fear that if you keep getting distracted by the boy, our village will face a fate similar to that of Kul Elna."

"Listen, Rishid", Akefia said in a warning tone, his icy gaze finally meeting that of his right-hand man, "I know exactly what I am doing and what my priorities are. And at the moment, Malik is my priority. I am going to train him, and when he is ready we will take revenge on the Pharaoh. If this was everything you wanted to talk about then you can leave now."

Without any protests Rishid stood up from the carpet and went back to the stairs but halted in front of them. "I know I have no right to be telling you this...", he began in a low, serious voice, "But I advise you to keep your personal emotions out of the plan."

Akefia snorted furiously and lay back on his carpet. "I have everything under control."

"I hope so...", was the last Rishid muttered before he went down the stairs to leave his leader to himself. As soon as Akefia could not hear the other's footsteps anymore, he hit his fist against the hard floor. He gritted his teeth to keep his anger inside as best as he could.

How dare he talk to the King of Thieves like that. He had not gained this title by getting distracted, much less by letting useless emotions get in his way. He had abandoned these years ago. The only reason why he treated Malik the way he did was because of that oath. The oath he had sworn to the father of the boy who was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Because of that and nothing else. Even if Malik was still like a little brother to him, the family he had lost, he would never let his feelings get in the way or lose sight of his aim. The plan was to make a man out of this fragile little boy. And that was exactly what he would do. He would prove it. And it would begin tomorrow.

* * *

><p>AN: It wasn't that long, I'm sorry!

Don't even try to google the lyrics, I wrote them myself (which explains why they sound so horrible). Nothing really rhymes because I thought if they actually sang that, they'd sing it in err... Egyptian and not in English which would change a lot. And no, Rishid is not a bad guy, he's just worried.

The Become-A-Thief-King-Training begins soon and let me tell you this: When it's finished there's going to be another time-skip. I'm looking forward to it! I hope you do too. See you next time!


End file.
